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The severity of the emotional trauma experienced by any victim of physical or emotional abuse is so heinous and ghastly a crime perpetrated by the sinner that unless one scratches the outer layer of the victim’s psyche, one never gets to know the brutality or the cruelty. In dealing particularly with a sex crime, there are several ramifications that overrule and throw out several fundamental causes and leave a permanent impression on the victim. For one, incest continues to be a taboo subject and interferes with any wounded sufferer’s mental health some of which lead to numerous personality disorders.

Child abuse or incest is not a subject often discussed and deliberated upon both either in public or within the narrow confines of our secure homes. And since it is such an offensive and unmentionable issue that it’s considered forbidden.

Understandably, cinema, too, though it reflects and mirrors society and its ills,...

Ott platforms have not just changed the rules of the entertainment market, they have given, literally, a second life to Bollywood stars who had faded away from the public eye for quite some time. Of late, a number of senior actors, who had virtually retired from the industry or had limited theatrical releases, are now being reinvented and getting a hugely positive response to their work, courtesy of streaming platforms.

Here’s a list of nine actors who are back in the reckoning in their second innings because of Ott:

Harman Baweja

The actor made his debut with the 2008 release “Love Story 2050”, directed by his father Harry Baweja, and charmed the audience with his dancing skills (and little else!), but he was dismissed by all as the poor man’s Hrithik Roshan.

Hansal Mehta’s streaming series “Scoop”, which sees a no-longer-chocolate-boy Harman back in action as Joint Commissioner...

Marathi web series ‘Jakkal’ is set to unravel the Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders that took place in the Pune of the 1970s. Through the show, the audience will get to know to what extent can four boys with no criminal background, belonging to middle class families, go once they start committing such a brutal crime.

The show is created by Vivek Wagh who has worked on the project for the last four years. Wagh has also won a National Award for the Best Investigative Documentary in 2021 based on the same subject. The show is produced by Jio Studios, Shivam Yadav and Kartikee Yadav of A Culture Canvas Entertainment production.

Talking about the show, creator Vivek Wagh said, “A city like Pune which was known as a Pensioner’s Paradise and a cultural capital, there were two emergencies that took place during that time. One was National and the other was the Jakkal emergency.

During the promotions of the much delayed film Ugly, Tejaswini Kolhapure had revealed about her pregnancy. The actress, who is also the sister of veteran Bollywood actress Padmini Kolhapure, was excited about the release of the Anurag Kashyap directorial despite the controversies it was trapped in and was equally thrilled about embracing motherhood. And now, the actress has given birth to a little angel at the renowned Lilavati Hospital in suburban Mumbai. Tejaswini's husband, Pankaj Saraswat, expressed his happiness over the news and stated that since this is their first child after their eight years of marriage, she will be treasured and also assured that the mother-daughter duo are doing absolutely fine. Pankaj also mentioned about how actress Shraddha Kapoor was in tears while reacting to the good news and his father-in-law and classical singer Pandharinath Kolhapure's wish to make the newly born a singer just like him. However, revealing about the naming ceremony,...

We have a brand new ‘behind-the-scenes’ video series for Ugly plus some exclusive stills and character sketches! ‘Ugly’ stars Ronit Roy, Tejasvini Kolhapure, Rahul Bhat, Vineet Singh, Girish Kulkarni, Siddhant Kapoor & Surveen Chawla. The movie has been produced by Phantom Films and Dar Motion Pictures Ltd. The film has created a furore at various International film festivals and is slated to release on December 26, 2014.

First up is the video titled ‘The Basis of Ugly, which features exclusive clips of director Anurag Kashyap and producer Vikramaditya Motwane sharing their experience while shooting for ‘Ugly’.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_K3Q-HpLQM

In this video, Anurag Kashyap speaks about his film and his motivation behind it. “This film comes from everybody wanting something & not doing anything” adds the talented director. Ugly is partly inspired by his relationship with his daughter, many scenes have been taken from real life situations that the...

Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly will finally hit the theatres in India on December 26, 2014. The film was earlier scheduled for a September release which never came to pass.

The film received a world premiere at Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 following which it was screened at several film festivals including Puchon, Warsaw and Melbourne.

A psychological thriller, Ugly deals with a situation where no one can trust anyone amidst the scenes of brutality and psychological games after ten year old Kali goes missing from the car she was left in by her father. The film features Tejaswini Kolhapure and Ronit Roy in lead roles.

Watch the theatrical trailer here:...

Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly will finally hit theatres in India on September 19, Vivek Rangachari of Dar Motion Pictures told Dearcinema.

Ugly, which received a world premiere at Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival in 2013, has since been screened at several film festivals including Puchon, Warsaw and Melbourne. The Indian premiere of the film will take place at the Ladakh International Film Festival in July.

A psychological thriller, Ugly deals with a situation where no one can trust anyone amidst the scenes of brutality and psychological games after ten year old Kali goes missing from the car she was left in by her father. The film features Tejaswini Kolhapure and Ronit Roy in lead roles.

The Indian release of the film had been put on hold by Anurag Kashyap who was protesting against the anti-smoking tickers on screen.

This year the 12th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) includes a lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films. The impressive program reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with cutting-edge filmmakers and emerging voices bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles.

The festival is widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally. Iffla will run April 8-13 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. Jadoo, an exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. The film is written and directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale. It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. As previously announced, Iffla will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles and executive produced by Emma Thompson.

Iffla 2014 wil l present more than 33 films, including three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.

“I'm thrilled and proud that Iffla's line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora,” said Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani. "We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films."

Program highlights include: the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar's Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of Netpac Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank and Asha , an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and Iffla alum Richie Mehta (Amal).

The festival's feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India's unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of

The Auction House , an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, Iffla alum Pan Nalin's beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.

The Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shootout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shoutout is a thrilling debut by Iffla alum writer/director Amit Kumar about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.

The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award® shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love.; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.

Festival Passes and Gala tickets are currently on sale at the festival's website.

For more information, please visit:

Website: www.indianfilmfestival.org.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ indianfilmfestival

Twitter: https://twitter.com /iffla

Tumblr: http://indianfilmfestival.tumblr.com/

About Iffla

Now in its 12th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is a nonprofit organization devoted to a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing films, honoring entertainment industry business executives, and promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora.

Opening Night Gala

Sold

Los Angeles Premiere

USA/2014/97min

Director: Jeffrey D. Brown

Producer: Jane Charles

Executive Producer: Emma Thompson

Screenwriters: Joseph Kwong, Jeffrey D. Brown

Composer: John McDowell, Sammy Chand, Salim & Sulaiman Merchant

Cast: Susmita Mukherjee, Seema Biswas, Tillotama Shome, Niyar Saikia, Priyanka Bose, Ankur Vikal, Parambrata Chatterjee, Gillian Anderson, David Arquette

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Jeffrey D. Brown adapts Patricia McCormick’s novel Sold – a National Book Award finalist – into a vivid, harrowing and inspiring story of a young girl’s resilience in the face of unspeakable cruelty.

Closing Night

Jadoo

Los Angeles Premiere

UK/2013/84 mins

Director: Amit Gupta

Producers: Amanda Faber, Isabelle Georgeaux, Richard Holmes, Nikki Parrott

Screenwriter: Amit Gupta

Composer: Stephen Warbeck

Cast: Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, Madhur Jaffrey

Set in Leicester, England, Amit Gupta’s culinary comedy charts the chaos that ensues when young Shalini gets engaged to her longtime boyfriend Mark. The fact that Mark is not Indian is the least of Shalini’s concerns. Her father Raja and uncle Jagi have been at war for years. After a legendary falling out that caused them to close their family restaurant, each man opened his own establishment – directly across the street from one another! Shalini’s dream wedding would see both men put aside their differences and prepare the feast together, but resentment runs deep and neither man can hear mention of the other’s name without a spike in blood pressure. Both the prospect of disappointing their beloved Shalini and the threat of a new, hip restaurant opening in the area force Raja and Jagi to work together – but for how long? In this uproariously funny and heartfelt exploration of family bonds, shared history and gastronomic perfection, Gupta’s cast is endlessly appealing. Plus, there’s enough mouth-watering Indian food on display to have your stomach growling before the credits roll.

Feature Films

Before My Eyes (Ankhon Dekhi)

Los Angeles Premiere

India/2013/107min

Director: Rajat Kapoor Producer: Manish Mundra

Screenwriter: Rajat Kapoor

Cast: Sanjay Sanjay Mishra, Seema Pahwa, Rajat Kapoor, Taranjeet, Maya Sarao

Celebrated writer, director, and actor Rajat Kapoor (Midnight’s Children, Monsoon Wedding, Mixed Doubles, Mithya) paints an offbeat yet thought-provoking portrait of domestic life in modern day Delhi when an incident prompts head of the family Bauji to reject anything he himself has not experienced, much to the exasperation of his extended family but to the delight of his newfound philosopher disciples. Balancing the comical and the existential, both Bauji and the film ask the basic question, ‘Can you know truth without true experience?’

Brahmin Bulls

Los Angeles Premiere

USA/96min/2013

Director: Mahesh Pailoor

Producer: Yoshinobu Tsuji

Screenwriters: Anu Pradhan, Mahesh Pailoor

Cast: Sendhil Ramamurthy, Roshan Seth, Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha, Cassidy Freeman, Monica Raymund, Michael Lerner

Mahesh Pailoor's tender, funny, and touching debut tells the story of estranged father and son Ashok and Sid, who reunite at Sid's Los Angeles home when Ashok arrives unexpectedly. Each man is keeping secrets from one another, and when the truth is revealed, parent and child must work even harder to close the rift between them.

Fandry

North American Premiere

India/2013/103min

Director: Nagraj Manjule

Producers: Vivek Kajaria, Nilesh Navalakha

Screenwriter: Nagraj Manjule

Cast: Kishor Kadam, Chhaya Kadam, Somnath Awghade, Suraj Pawar, Rajshree Kharat, Sakshi Vyavhare, Aishvarya Shinde, Nagraj Manjule

Marathi poet Nagraj Manjule's impressive debut feature tells the story of Jabya, a Dalit boy, and his family's struggle against daily prejudice in their Maharashtra village. Jabya's carefree childhood desires and antics are soon stifled by his family's "untouchable" status, and the film's gradual transformation into an insightful and damning look at caste discrimination builds from a murmur to a defiant roar. Refusing to reduce his Dalit characters to victims – most explicitly at the film's explosive conclusion - Manjule's socially reflective film has received critical acclaim in India.

Hank and Asha

Los Angeles Premiere

USA/2013/73min

Director: James E. Duff

Producers: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison

Screenwriters: James E. Duff, Julia Morrison

Cast: Mahira Kakkar, Andrew Pastides

James E. Duff's feature directorial debut, the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, is an endearing tale of a long-distance connection in the digital age. Hank and Asha, two aspiring filmmakers separated by an ocean, connect with one another through video messages and quickly find themselves heading towards romance. That is, until Asha reveals some surprising news. Duff has created a captivating ode to the new possibilities open to us now that the world's gotten smaller.

Liar's Dice

Los Angeles Premiere

India/2013/104min

Director: Geetu Mohandas

Producers: Alan McAlex, Ajay G. Rai

Screenwriter: Geetu Mohandas

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Geetanjali Thapa, Manya Gupta

Established actress Geetu Mohandas steps behind the lens for her bracing directorial debut. A woman named Kamala and her daughter journey from their remote Himalayan village to Delhi in search of Kamala's missing husband. They find a guide in an unfriendly wanderer whose interest may lie more in his personal gain than in any help he can offer them. Beautifully shot by Rajeev Ravi (Gangs of Wasseypur), Mohandas' film evokes a hazardous world where answers may never be clear and a helping hand always comes at a price.

Phoring

North American Premiere

India/2013/128min

Director: Indranil Roychowdhury

Producers: Anasua Roychowdury, Sugata Bal

Screenwriters: Indranil Roychowdhury, Sugata Sinha

Cast: Akash Adhikary, Sohini Sarkar, Sourav Basak, Ritwick Charaborty, Shankar Debnath, Senjuti Roymukherjee

Indranil Roychowdhury's stunning feature debut is an evocative, unpredictable tale of confused adolescence in a struggling North Bengal town. Phoring, an imaginative adolescent boy, and his beautiful new teacher Doel form a close friendship that soon arouses doubt and suspicion when Doel's presence in the town is revealed to have less-than-noble origins. Roychowdhury accomplishes a tricky feat with his first film by luring us with the promise of an inspirational teacher-student story before ultimately delivering a much more complex and truthful account of the joys and pains of growing up.

Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost (2013)

Los Angeles Premiere Germany-India-Netherlands/2013/109min

Director: Anup Singh

Producers: Bero Beyer, Johannes Rexin, Bettina Brokemper, Thierry Lenouvel

Screenwriter: Anup Singh, Madhuja Mukherjee

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Tisca Chopra, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal

Set in 1940s Punjab, Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa details the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistan Partition through the experiences of one Sikh family, headed by Umber (Irrfan Khan). Following the family’s forceful displacement from their village, Umber’s desire for a male heir is stronger than ever. When his wife gives birth to their fourth daughter, Kanwar, Umber makes the fateful decision to raise her as a boy. This tragic choice ends up dividing the family in violent ways, and provokes a series of increasingly unsettling situations for Kanwar as she grows up. While in a sense a ghost story, the source of pain and suffering is all too real.

Siddharth

Los Angeles Premiere

Canada-India/2013/96min

Director: Richie Mehta

Producers: David Miller, Steven N. Bray

Screenwriter: Richie Mehta

Cast: Rajesh Tailang, Tannishtha Chatterjee

A celebrated Iffla alum, Canadian director Richie Mehta returns to the festival with a heartbreaking story of parents Mahendra and Suman, whose son goes missing after being sent to work 200 miles north of Delhi. Carried by powerful yet restrained performances from Rajesh Tailang and Tannishtha Chatterjee as the parents, Mehta and cast capture the dignity of those facing the unthinkable. Mehta's chance encounter with a man searching for his lost son alerted him to the underreported plight of the families of 44,000 children estimated missing in India every year.

Ugly

North American Premiere

India/2013/128mins/Dcp

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Writer: Anurag Kashyap

Producers: Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vivek Rangachari, Arun Rangachari

Cast: Rahul Bhatt, Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Anshika Shrivastava

When ten-year-old Kali disappears from her father Rahul's car on the busy streets of Mumbai, the events that follow quickly spiral out of control and plunge into a morass of corruption and violence. Rahul and Kali's mother, Shalini, are divorced. Shalini is now married to Shoumik, the local police chief. When Shoumik learns that his stepdaughter is missing, he and Rahul clash in a breathless race to find the girl. With intricate plotting and vivid characterizations, Iffla alum Anurag Kashyap fashions a story that's sure to keep the heart racing.

Writers (Sulemani Keeda)

North American Premiere

India/2013/90min

Director: Amit V Masurkar

Writer: Amit V Masurkar

Producer: Datta Dave

Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari, Aditi Vasudev and Karan Mirchandani

Writing partners Dulal and Mainak dream of shaking up Bollywood in director Amit Masurkar's slacker comedy. The two young men take a job from the wealthy, oddball son of a famous B-movie producer, but soon fear they're on the path to selling out. Masurkar's film captures the creative spirit of Andheri West, a Mumbai suburb where writers, directors, and actors come from all over India with the dream of working in the film industry, and is a sweet taste of things to come from the new "hindie" cinema.

Documentary Features

The Auction House: A Tale of Two Brothers

World Premiere

UK/2014/85min

Director: Ed Owles

Producers: Ed Owles, Giovanna Stopponi

The auction houses of Kolkata used to be where the rich and famous found the right high-end objects to decorate their homes. Today, the family-owned Russell Exchange is the last, and oldest, one to remain in India. Director Ed Owles follows two brothers, with the older brother moving back to Kolkata from London with hopes of using his Western business acumen to bring the Exchange into the 21st century. However, in a country radically transformed by technology and a rising youth culture, it may already be too late.

Faith Connections

Los Angeles Premiere

France-India/2013/115min/Dcp

Director: Pan Nalin

Producers: Raphaël Berdugo, Gaurav Dhingra, Pan Nalin, Virginie Lacombe

Every three years, Hindus gather at one of four rotating sites for Kumbh Mela, a religious celebration of faith and devotion marked by bathing in the sacred waters of the Ganges. With 100 million people at the 2013 Kumbh Mela, the pilgrimage is said to be the largest gathering on the planet. Iffla alum Pan Nalin crafts a moving and unique view of the mass gathering and presents unique stories of how individuals came to be there to share in the belief of the divine.

Powerless (Katiyabaaz)

Los Angeles Premiere

India/2013/82min

Director: Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar

Producers: Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar, Judy Tam, Leopold Koegler

Screenwriter: Fahad Mustafa

In Kanpur, a city of three million that has seen better days, one of the only ways for many residents to get electricity is to steal it. Co-directors Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar focus their attention on the likes of pirate engineers like Loha Singh and first female CEO at the local power authority Ritu Maheshwari. Coupled with beautiful photography of the intricately tied together powerlines of the city and a pulsating original score, they present a unique documentary about current-day India and its future battles over limited resources.

Shepherds of Paradise

U.S. Premiere

India/2013/50min

Director/Producer/Screenwriter/Cinematographer/Editor: Raja Shabir Khan

Composer: Bilal Iran

Nomadic herder Gafoor has to lead his large flock of goats, sheep, cows and horses across Jammu all the way to Kashmir so they can graze. Director Raja Shabir Khan presents lives few have ever seen, let alone lived, with simple beauty and real terror in a film that has won major National Awards in India. A cinematic wonder that must be seen to truly understand, Shepherds of Paradise is a testament of the power of film to transport us to other lands and experiences.

Bollywood By Night

Bombay Talkies

North American Premiere

India/117min/2013

Directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap

Producers: Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Guneet Monga

Screenwriters: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Anurag Kashyap

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Rani Mukerji, Katrina Kaif, Randeep Hooda, Saqib Saleem, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

A quartet of short films directed by four of India’s most exciting contemporary filmmakers celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema in this omnibus film. Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap crafts a tale of ordinary people whose love of movies profoundly alters the course of their lives. Each story beautifully captures how lovers of cinema can’t help but carry that fascination into their day-to-day life. Haven’t we all wished, at one time or another, that our lives were more like a film?

Monsoon Shootout

Los Angeles Premiere

India-uk-Netherlands/2013/88min

Director: Amit Kumar

Producers: Trevor Ingman, Guneet Monga, Martijn De Grunt

Screenwriter: Amit Kumar

Cast: Vijay Varma, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Geetanjali Thapa

A split-second decision made by a rookie police officer propels writer/director Amit Kumar’s debut feature, which fascinatingly splinters into three separate, equally pulse-pounding scenarios. In a secluded alley drenched in the pouring rain, principled cop Adi aims his gun at Shiva, a vicious gangster on the run. What Adi decides to do next will reverberate throughout his personal and professional life in ways he could never imagine. Kumar thus explores the ripple effect our choices have, and how we unknowingly alter the lives of those around us.

Shorts

Aarti

Shorts Program 2

World Premiere

USA/2013/4min

Director: David Walter Lech

Producer: Terrie Samundra

A hypnotic look into the nightly “ceremony of light” ritual in a Hindu temple in Sheikhupur, Punjab.

Alchemy

Shorts Program 2

U.S. Premiere

India/2013/5min

Directors: Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat, Janmeet Singh

Producer: Pritesh Varia

A bold and vibrant song to the intricate fabric of modern day India, a kaleidoscope of voices, colors and traditions.

Bhiwani Junction

Shorts Program 1

Los Angeles Premiere

USA/2013/18min

Director: Abhi Singh

Producer: Abhi Singh

A poignant documentary portrait of Himanshu, a 12-year old boxer, whose formidable commitment to the sport makes his lofty dreams to become an Olympic champion appear well within reach.

Black Rock (Kaatal)

Shorts Program 1

U.S. Premiere

India/2012/22min

Director: Vikrant Pawar

Producer: Film and Television Institute of India

Two young lovers spend one last afternoon together. A beautiful meditation on the ephemeral nature of young love that has won three of India’s National Film Awards.

The Fly (Makhi)

Shorts Program 2

World Premiere

India/2013/31min

Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni

Producer: Film and Television Institute of India

Employed as a Fly Killer in an upscale restaurant, Pipal must ensure a fly-free environment by smacking dead the flies that buzz over the patrons’ heads. When a nearby drainage is closed and the source of the fly infestation eradicated, Pipal must find a way to produce enough live flies to save his job, in this delightfully absurdist commentary on urban India’s emerging work culture.

Beloved (Humsafar)

Shorts Program 2

U.S. Premiere

India/2012/6min

Directors/Writers: Swapnil Awate, Laura Erbacher

Producer: Dsk Supinfocom

A sweeping single shot takes us on the breathtaking animated journey of two lovers and their eternal pursuit of harmony.

Jaya

Shorts Program 2

USA/2013/19min

Director: Puja Maewal

Producer: Puja Maewal

Young Jaya is able to survive the gruesome gang life in the unforgiving streets of Mumbai by posing as a boy. When she meets a wealthy businessman who looks like he could be the father who abandoned her, she sets out to reclaim her identity, in this engrossing drama that was shortlisted for a Student Academy Award®.

Kush

Shorts Program 1

India/2013/25min

Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani

Producer: Shubhashish Bhutiani

A bus full of schoolchildren boisterously makes its way back from a field trip when the news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her Sikh bodyguards breaks. As violence quickly erupts across the country, Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, must find a way to escape the unquenchable fury of retribution, in this gripping drama that was shortlisted for an Academy Award®.

Little Gypsy (Kachho Gadulo)

Shorts Program 1

Los Angeles Premiere

India/2012/6min

Directors: Saptesh Chaubal, Pranay Patwardhan, Shivangi Ranawat

Producer: D.S.K. Supinfocom

Inspired by the folk traditions of various parts of India, this stunning animated film sweeps us into a mythical journey that celebrates the power of play and imagination.

Love.Love.Love.

Shorts Program 2

Los Angeles Premiere

Russian Federation/2013/12min

Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram

Producers: Tanya Petrik, Guillaume Protsenko

An intimate ode to the wondrous force of love, as it takes new shapes and forms through the endless Russian winters. Love. Love.Love. won the Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Outpost

Shorts Program 1

U.S. Premiere

India-usa/2013/17min

Director: Shiva Shankar Bajpai

Producer: Aditi Anand

In the barren desert of the India-Pakistan border, two lone army guards on the opposite sides of the line yearn for booze, mosquito repellent and some human contact, in this humorous glimpse into the absurdity of rigid immaterial divides.

Presence

Shorts Program 2

U.S. Premiere

India/2012/17min

Directors: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan

Producers: Ekta Mittal, Yashaswini Raghunandan

Long days and nights spent within the bellies of the rising structural beasts that rapidly transform the city of Bangalore bring on visions of ghosts that speak of the construction workers’ memories, longings and fears, in this haunting meditation on the migrant experience.

Skin Deep

Screens with Writers

U.S. Premiere

India/2013/20min

Director: Hardik Mehta

Producers: Devang Bhavsar, Niraj Kothari

Sanjay and Sushma plan to elope to escape a looming arranged marriage. They are in love and their future together shines bright and perfect and filled with possibility--that is, as long as an extra piece of skin that complicates their sex life gets fixed in what should be a routine medical procedure. But Mumbai’s electricity gods have other plans in store for them.

Small Yellow Field (Tau Seru)

Shorts Program 1

Los Angeles Premiere

Australia-India/2013/8min

Director: Rodd Rathjen

Producer: Rodd Rathjen

In the remote vastness of the Himalayas, a young nomad's curiosity lies beyond the horizon. This stunningly photographed film made its world premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week.

The Puppet (Tamaash)

Screens with Shepherds Of Paradise

Los Angeles Premiere

India/2013/32min

Directors: Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh

Producers: Datta Dave, Chaitanya Hegde, Omar Nissar Paul, Devanshu Singh, Satyanshu Singh

A mysterious puppet offers young Anzar the chance to escape his father’s relentless punishments over his poor school grades by granting him the power to inflict misfortune on his nemesis, his brilliant classmate, Sadat. However, his newfound peace is short-lived as Sadat falls severely ill and Anzar comes to realize that the puppet’s powers are spiraling out of his control...

From April 8th to the 11th, Indian films will once again be showcased in the Us at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla). In its 12th year, Iffla boasts an incredible lineup of fabulous films that reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema. Iffla’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani says, “I’m thrilled and proud that Iffla’s line-up this year includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora.”

Iffla 2014 presents 33 films that include feature films, documentaries and shorts. The festival will have three world premieres, six North American premieres, six U.S. premieres, and 16 Los Angeles premieres. The films feature 10 different languages, from Hindi to Marathi, to Russian to Bengali. Additionally, Iffla supports American, Australian, British, Canadian, and European diaspora filmmakers from nine different countries telling their stories.

Bollywood will be well represented with three outstanding films all showing during the festival’s run.

Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly shared the jury prize with South Korean director Lee Su-Jin’s Hang Gong-Jo at the 16th Deauville Asian Film Festival that concluded on March 9th in the French city of Deauville.

The jury headed by French director Claire Denis (Chocolate, Bastards, White Material) awarded the best film to Nagima by Kazakh director Zhanna Issabayeva.

Apart from sharing the jury award with Ugly, Hang Gong-Jo also claimed the critics’ award as well as the audience award at the festival.

Ugly deals with a situation where no one can trust anyone amidst the scenes of brutality and psychological games. Ten year old Kali goes missing from the car she was left in by her father. Her step father is a brutal man heading the Police detection squad. He first suspects the father but then evolve others with a guilty conscience and lies for a cover up.

The film...

Hindi remakes rights of Pawan Kumar’s “Lucia” was bought by Fox Star Studios

Year 2013 turned out to be an unprecedented year for Indian indie films! While Bollywood continued to break all records riding high on star power, Indies also began a humble yet significant journey towards finding mainstream distribution. The Lunchbox piggybacked on star director Karan Johar as presenter while Ship of Theseus found support from filmmaker Kiran Rao. Shahid was backed by Disney-utv and B.A. Pass was acquired by Bollywood producer Bharat Shah. While these films enjoyed successful run in international film festivals, they also got acceptance from theatre-going audiences back home.

We’ve compiled a list of 10 indie gems that we think ruled the roost this year. At the outset, we would like to mention two remarkable films, Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Hansal Mehta’s Shahid, which released theatrically this year but had been...

Ugly, directed by Anurag Kashyap, will screen at the Warsaw Film Festival under the Special Screenings section. The festival will be held from October 11 – 20, 2013. Ugly is the only Indian film at the festival this year.

The film deals with a situation where no one can trust anyone amidst the scenes of brutality and psychological games. Ten year old Kali goes missing from the car she was left in by her father. Her step father is a brutal man heading the Police detection squad. He first suspects the father but then evolve others with a guilty conscience and lies for a cover up.

The film features Tejaswini Kolhapure and Ronit Roy in lead roles.

Ugly had its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2013 in Director’s Fortnight. Besides, Kashyap won the Best Director award for the film at the 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. Ugly was...

Anurag Kashyap was named the Best Director for Ugly at the 17th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea. The award comprises cash prize of 10,000,000 Krw (Inr 5 Lakh). Featuring Tejaswini Kolhapure and Ronit Roy in lead roles, Ugly is a thriller that premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Talaash by Reema Kagti won the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation Asian Award. It was screened in World Fantastic Cinema section at the festival. Talaash, featuring Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor, revolves around a cop, who while investigating the mysterious death of a filmstar meets a sex-worker. The film released in Indian theatres in November 2012.

Krishna D.K. and Raj Nidimoru’s Go Goa Gone, Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che and Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish were also part of the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival lineup. The festival runs from July 18-28, 2013.

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Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly has been shortlisted for Directors’ Fortnight - an independent section held at the Cannes Film Festival. The makers have launched a unique poster to give the audiences a sneak peek into this psychological thriller.

The digital poster aptly captures mysterious elements like the cat crossing a dark lane while the street shop’s light blinking away. The filmmaker is using a very unique approach to promote this film. Anuragh Kashyap has also changed his twitter handle to ‘UGLYAnurag’ and his many followers are also doing the same. The film also marks Anurag’s return as a director after Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2. The director has given the Indian cinema many path-breaking films like Dev D, Gulaal and Black Friday.

After watching the digital poster of Ugly, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the trailer of the film. The film stars Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vinit...

Mumbai, May 15: Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who is directing "Ugly", has launched a digital poster giving a sneak peek into the psychological thriller.

Dramatic and suspenseful, the poster, unveiled on YouTube, captures mysterious elements like a cat crossing a dark lane, while a street shop's light is blinking away.

The filmmaker has also changed his Twitter handle to "UGLYAnurag".

"Ugly", starring Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vinit Kumar Singh and Vipin Sharma in pivotal roles, has been shortlisted for Directors' Fortnight, an independent section at the Cannes Film Festival.

Kashyap's last directorial.

The official poster of Anurag Kashyap’s next film ‘Ugly’ is out. The film has been selected for Directors’ Fortnight – an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival.

‘Ugly’ features Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vinit Kumar Singh Vipin Sharma in pivotal roles. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film is dark psychological thriller on the surface and emotional drama within.

Produced by Phantom Films and Dar Motion Pictures, the films will premiere at Cannes Film Festival 2013.

Synopsis:

Bose, an extremely straight-forward person, is an Additional Commissioner of Police. It is only in his private life that these lines get blurred, especially with the way he treats his wife Shalini. Shalini is a clinically depressed person and an alcoholic. Bose is Shalini’s second husband. Shalini was first married to Rahul and also has a daughter with him, (Kali). Rahul is a struggling actor who is still looking for his big break.

The first look poster of Anurag Kashyap's keenly awaited film Ugly is out. The film has been selected for Directors' Fortnight - an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival.Ugly features Ronit Roy, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Vinit Kumar Singh and Vipin Sharma in pivotal roles. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film is dark psychological thriller on the surface and emotional drama within.Produced by Phantom Films and Dar Motion Pictures, the...

Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly will be screened at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. His two part Gangs of Wasseypur was screened in the same section at the festival last year.

Directors’ Fortnight is a parallel section of Cannes Film Festival.

Ugly has Tejaswini Kolhapure and Ronit Roy in lead roles. Tejaswini started her career with Kashyap’s Paanch (2005) but the film was never released due to trouble with censor board.

Ugly is produced by Phanton Films, a company run by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena. It is co produced by Dar Motion Pictures.

Bombay Talkies, a portmanteau feature, which has a segment directed by Anurag Kashyap will have a gala screening at Cannes to mark the 100 years of Indian cinema.

“It’s a simple kidnap drama but it deals with relationships, patriarchal system, how men look at women, domestic violence and many more things. It’s...

For the next film that Anurag Kashyap is all set to direct, the auteur director has selected a new work-method. No actor has been given a script. Instead they've all been given a brief outline for their characters. Ronit Roy plays a Bengali teetotaler while Tejaswini Kolhapure plays his alcoholic wife. In fact, the two lead actors are unaware that they're working with each other! They've been asked to report for the first day of shooting on October 21. When we asked Ronit about the novel shooting method, he said, "I don't think any member of the cast has been given a script. I've only been asked to report on the set. Beyond that Anurag refused to say anything. I think he wants a certain kind of spontaneity in the characters and the script. I've been told I'm playing a Bengali teetotaler. Beyond that I will get to know what I've...

Shakti Kapoor's son Siddhant, who is all set to make his debut as a gangster in Sanjay Gupta's Shootout At Wadala, has now been signed on by Anurag Kashyap for his next directorial venture titled Ugly. In the film, Siddhant will be seen playing a dark character, who is into drugs. But what Siddhant is more excited about is that in Ugly, he will get to share screen place with his aunt Tejaswini Kolhapure (his mother Shivangi's sister). What many people don't know is that Tejaswini's debut film was Anurag Kashyap's unreleased film Paanch (2003). Ugly also stars actors Ronit Roy and Pallavi Sharda and will go on floors in March.

Tejaswini Kolhapure

Anurag Kashyap makes up for his unreleased Paanch by casting Tejaswini Kolhapure in his upcoming thriller

Anurag Kashyap’s directorial debut Paanch was never released in theaters. As a result, actress Tejaswini Kolhapure, who had reportedly given an amazing performance in the film was never appreciated. However, Anurag Kahsyap who has carved an impressive niche for himself and is a sought after filmmaker today will team up with Tejaswini yet again for his upcoming film.

It is reported that Anurag Kashyap, post his Cannes visit, handed over a script to Tejaswini which the actress liked. She also said, “I absolutely trust Anurag as a director and will do whatever he offers me!”

Kashyap’s film is a thriller and also features Rahul Bhatt and Ronit Roy.

»Read the full article...

Mumbai, Sep 20 – Designer Payal Singhal’s show on the fourth day of the Lakme Fashion Week (Lfw) was high on woman power with celebrities like ex-vj Maria Goretti, actress Tejaswini Kolhapure and television host Parizad Kolah walking the ramp as show stoppers.

While Parizad was the first to sashay down the runway in an

off-white gown, Tejaswini followed her in a dress that was a mix of a western gown and an Indian leghenga in the same color and finally came Maria dazzling in a sari.

‘I.

If Govinda thinks that he got a raw deal in Mani Ratnam's Raavan, then he can seek solace in the savage butchering that Tejaswini Kolhapure's role suffered. Padmini Kolhapure's pretty baby sister was signed on for a prominent role as Ravi Kissan's wife in the movie. She spent two-and-half gruelling months away from home and husband (filmmaker-actor Pankaj Saraswat) in the jungles shooting for Raavan. The end-result - one passing shot, lasting no more than five seconds in a wedding song. Surely this must rank as the most abbreviated role in the history of Hindi cinema! One of Tejaswini's co-stars in Raavan  says: ...

If Govinda thinks that he got a raw deal in Mani Ratnam's Raavan, then he can seek solace in the savage butchering that Tejaswini Kolhapure's role suffered.Padmini Kolhapure's pretty baby sister was signed on for a prominent role as Ravi Kissan's wife in the movie. She spent two-and-half gruelling months away from home and husband (filmmaker-actor Pankaj Saraswat) in the jungles shooting for Raavan.The end-result - one passing shot, lasting no more than five seconds in a wedding song. Surely this must rank as the most abbreviated role in the history of Hindi cinema!One of Tejaswini's co-stars in Raavan says: "At least Tejaswini is visible in one shot. Poor Sadashiv Amrapurkar, at his age, he was on location in the jungles for 90 days. He doesn't even have one scene in the film. And what about poor Sachin Khedekar, who is there for...

Chitragada Singh is new face of Garnier. This unconventional face was crowned the brand ambassadorship recently for the Garnier age limit.

Present at the occasion were renowned faces of tinsel town Pooja Bedi, Sonali Kulkarni, Sudhir Mishra, Sulaiman Merchant, Bikram Saluja, Shenaz Treasurywala, Tapur Chatterjee, Dipannita Sharma, Anushka Manchandani, Gauri Karnik, Raghav Sachar, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Arjun Khanna, Carol Gracias, Nethra Raghuraman, Narendra Kumar Ahmed and Nisha Jamwal.

Everyone could not stop raving about Chitragada and claimed her to be.

Movie Review: Stop; Star cast: Introducing Rohit Bhatia, Dia Mirza, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Gauri Karnik, Ishita Arun, Kiran Janjani, Anupam Kher and Om Puri; Director: Ajai Sinha; Rating: ** - Could have been better.

Sonia (Ishita Arun), Tina (Tejaswini Kolhapure), Puja (Gauri Karnik) and Om (Rohit Bhatia) are four home-mates in Dubai. They together share a huge apartment and are platonic best friends. While Puja is a host on an FM channel called Radio Hum, Tina is a stage actress, Sonia runs a boutique, and Om works in a corporate set up. While outwardly the four appear.