In 2013, Shubhashish Bhutiani’s short film Kush had premiered at Venice Film Festival and it won the Orizzonti Award For the Best Short film. This year, he is returning to Venice with his debut feature, Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation).
The film was one of the the 4 projects that was selected for 4th Biennale College – Cinema (2015 – 2016). This is the initiative launched in 2012 by the Biennale di Venezia to promote new talents, offering them the opportunity to work side by side with the masters in the making of micro-budget feature films.
The film stars stars Adil Hussain, Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl and Anil K Rastogi.
Its first trailer is out. Do have a look.
At first glance, it looks like the perfect exotic subject for the west. But its bittersweet charm disarms you quickly.
Official Synopsis
An ominous dream convinces 77-year-old Dayanand Kumar that his end could be near. He takes the news to his son Rajiv, knowing he wants to breathe his last in the holy city of Varanasi and end the cycle of rebirth, by attaining salvation. Being the dutiful son he is, Rajiv is left with no choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father. Daya and Rajiv check into Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation) in Varanasi, a guesthouse devoted to people who want to die there. But as the days go by, Rajiv struggles to juggle his responsibilities back home, while Daya starts to bloom in the hotel. Rajiv gives his father a shot at salvation but as family bonds are tested, he finds himself torn, and not knowing what he must do to keep his life together.
Credits
Writer & Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Producer: Sanjay Bhutiani & Sajida Sharma
Director of Photography: Michael McSweeney & David Huwiler
Production Design: Avyakta Kapur
Editor: Manas Mittal
Music Composer: Tajdar Junaid
Sound Design: Ajay Kumar PB & Akhilesh Acharya
Costume Design: Shruti Wadetiwar
Dialogues: Assad Hussain
First Assistant Director: Abbas Khan
Production Company: Red Carpet Moving Pictures Pvt. Ltd.
To know more about the film, its FB page is here.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 