Archive for the ‘Indie’ Category

Manu Warrier’s indie “Coffee Bloom” to release on 6th March, 2015

Posted: February 24, 2015 by moifightclub in film, first look, Indie, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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Coffee Bloom

After having its premiere at the last edition of Mumbai Film Festival, Manu Warrier’s indie feature Coffee Bloom is all set to hit the screens on 6th March, 2015.

Directed by Manu and produced by Harish Amin,  the film will now be receiving a major international release as it releases simultaneously in India, USA and Toronto.

Here’s the official synopsis of the film –

Coffee Bloom’ is the story of Dev Anand (Arjun Mathur), who is a self proclaimed wise man and has given up on life as a result of a love gone wrong. A life changing event takes him on a journey to a coffee plantation. There he meets Anika (Sugandha Ram), his long lost love, currently his boss. Love blooms in an idyllic setting, bringing Dev out of his self imposed funk and Dev finds a new reason to live. Coffee Bloom also stars veteran actor Mohan Kapoor and Bengali actress Ishwari Bose in supporting roles.

Starring Arjun Mathur, Sugandha Ram, Mohan Kapoor and Ishwari Bose, Coffee Bloom is all set to hit theatres in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur), US(San Francisco, LA, Seattle, New Jersey, Chicago) and Canada(Toronto).

And here’s the trailer –

Anup Singh’s Qissa – a gender-bending & genre-bending fascinating ghostly tale

Posted: February 20, 2015 by moifightclub in cinema, Indie, Movie Recco, movie reviews, Must Watch
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Anup Singh’s Qissa is finally releasing in India. It’s a limited release in 5 cities with just a few shows. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the release details. But here’s the good news – even if you are not in any of the 5 cities or you are outside India, you can watch it on VoD. Click here to go to NFDC’s VoD link and enjoy the film. The film is in Punjabi with English subtitles.

We are re-posting an old recco post on the film. Don’t miss it- it’s a must-watch and has made it to our mFC Recco List.

Qissa

If the header of the post seems loaded, you will be surprised more when you watch the film. Yes, there’s gender-bending, it’s genre-bending, and a ghostly tale. Add partition, identity crisis, sexuality, female foeticide, sibling rivalry. It’s a baffling cocktail that you have never tasted before.

The ghostly part might be considered a spoiler, but since the film’s title already tells you that, am not sure if it should be counted as one. The film is titled “Qissa – The Tale Of A Lonely Ghost”. I think that’s a smart choice to let the audience know what they are getting into, and be prepared for it. On a similar tangent, it was a mistake which Talaash makers did by not getting the spoiler out.

Varun Grover saw the film at TIFF where it premiered, and reccoed it in a post here – “A film based on partition, in Punjabi, starring Irrfan and Tillotama Shome and Rasika Duggal and Tisca Chopra! I was already sold. And though it deals with partition in a more symbolic, metaphoric, allegorical way – I was moved immensely by it. Many friends had issues with the logic and amount of suspension of disbelief it demands (basic premise of a father who brings up his daughter as a son without letting anybody else know is a bit of a stretch, yes) – but it still managed to disturb and involve me probably because of the magic realism zone it enters in the 2nd half. And also because of Rasika and Tillotama’s terrific performances. Probably it’s only me but I think the film gives a solid theory on why Punjab has the maximum cases of female foeticide/infanticide. (Qissa won the NETPAC Award at TIFF)”

So i was already prepared for it. But i had no clue that it will be such a fascinating ride. The film starts with a voice-over that feels like a folktale. But it soon jumps into the reality of partition and ethnic cleansing which forms its backdrop. In the aftermath of partition, Umber Singh (Irrfan Khan) is forced to move to Punjab with his family. A loss of identity, roots and that place you call home. Do you ever get that back?

And from the politics of the land the film moves to gender politics. Having already three daughters, Irrfan forces the forth daughter to grow up like a son. The gender identity part is strange and you might question its believability factor. But i have always felt that never let the truth (or logic/reason/whatever you call it) come in the way of a great story telling. Let the filmmaker be your guiding torch in this new dark room that you have never entered. Just hold his hand tightly and enjoy the ride. Leave him only if he trips over something. In that dark room, the only thing that matters is the conviction with which the filmmaker guides you, and how much are you willing to trust him. I live to enjoy this cheap thrill, and trust me, most of the times the experience has been rewarding. It’s easy to spot the ones who know their craft and can direct. Qissa is one such dark room which you have never entered. It’s strange, it’s weird, it’s unique. You need that torch and that trust. So as you buy into the premise of its gender politics, you realise that this strange tale is becoming weird, and you keep wondering where it will end up.

Then comes the magic realism bit which wraps up the story and completes the circle. The sudden tonal shift feels slightly jerky but it’s a minor quibble in an otherwise brilliant film. Anup Singh captures the sights and sounds of the land beautifully. The arid landscape, the rustic rituals, the folksy sound, and the dialect of the region, there’s not a single false note in Qissa. Backed by strong acting talents – Irrfan Khan, Tilottama Shome, Rasika Dugal and Tisca Chopra, they manage to pull off this difficult film with much ease. Describing anything more of the film will spoil the fun for you.

Qissa is an audacious film, and all credit must go to Anup Singh for stepping into this rare territory which we hardly explore, and for delivering such a brilliant film. This is the reason why it might alienate some audience too. You are not sure how to tackle this film. So remember the dark room and hold that torch. You will be fine. Don’t miss this one. It’s rare to find such a gem. Because it’s rare to find a desi filmmaker who takes such an untrodden path.

– @NotSoSnob

Qissa

First Look : Atul Sabharwal’s documentary “In Their Shoes”

Posted: February 17, 2015 by moifightclub in Documentary, film, first look, Indie, Trailer
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In Their Shoes

After making his debut with Hindi feature Aurangzeb, and TV series, Powder, Atul Sabharwal is now coming out with a documentary  titled “In Their Shoes”.

Centered on the shoe industry in Agra and the people who are engaged in it, this feature length documentary is set to get a limited release in 5 cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Agra and Pune) on March 13th, 2015, through PVR Director’s Rare and Long Live Cinema  in five cities

And here’s the trailer

In the docu, filmmaker Atul Sabharwal goes on a quest to find out why his father pushed him away from
joining their family business of shoe material trading in Agra. With a runtime of 92 minutes, this film navigates through the narrow alleys, crowded slums and giant export houses of the historic city of Agra, India, exploring certain answers through the interviews of footwear artisans, traders, manufacturers, exporters and government officials. Through their voices this film pieces together the tale of the industry and the men who built it and sailed it through or got sunk with the global events like India-Pakistan Partition, rise of the USSR, Solidarnosc movement of Poland, the collapse of Berlin Wall, opening of trade economies.

Shot by Ansar Shah and edited by Parmananad Kumar, this film allows the filmmaker to unravel the history of the footwear industry in Agra, and discovers how the global events of his growing up years impacted his relationship with his father.

For more info, FB page is here. Twitter account is here.

Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Dhanak’ wins Grand Prix for the Best Feature in Generation Kplus at Berlin Fest

Posted: February 14, 2015 by moifightclub in Awards, cinema, Film Festival, Indie, News
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2015 seems to have started on a great note for desi indies. After Umrika’s win at Sundance, Nagesh Kukunoor’s film Dhanak bagged top awards at the 65th Berlin Film Festival.

The film was competing in Generation Kplus category. In this section, the jury members are no older than those of the audience. Eleven children and seven teens award the best films with Crystal Bears. Special Mentions are given for outstanding achievements. Two international juries present further prizes in the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competition.

Dhanak has bagged two awards – In the the Children’s Jury, it has been given a “Special Mention” – This year, we chose a colorful, touching and humorous film. The story and the performances of the young protagonists impressed us deeply.

And in the International Jury, it has bagged the Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus for the best feature-length film, endowed with € 7,500 by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk:

This dynamically-directed film delivers joy and heartbreak in equal measure – the young brother and sister at its heart and the unbreakable love between them are irresistible. As we journey across the country with these two young people, we become deeply invested in their quirky “against all odds” quest. We were constantly surprised by the twists and turns in their journey, and the unusual, eccentric characters that awaits them at each and every juncture! Filled with color, magic, music, spontaneity and a plenty of emotion, this film lives up to its name and delivers a celebration of life to savor long after the end credits roll!

Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the film stars child actors Hetal Gada and Krrish Chhabria in the lead. It’s produced by Manish Mundra, Elahe Hiptoola and Kukunoor.

The film is about an eight-year-old blind boy whose 10-year-old sister promises him that he will get his vision back before he turns 9. The film follows the duo on a magical journey through the sand dunes of Rajasthan.

Last year, Avinash Arun’s Killa had won the Crystal Bear in the same category.

Ritesh Batra’s ‘The Lunchbox’ gets a BAFTA nomination. FFI : #YouRemember

Posted: January 10, 2015 by moifightclub in Awards, cinema, Indie, News
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movies-bafta-stephen-fry-with-trophies

After numerous fest rounds, Ritesh Batra’s critically and commercially acclaimed debut feature, The Lunchbox, is still making news. And for all the right reasons. This time, the film has bagged a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nomination. The film is nominated in the Foreign Language Film Category (or Film Not in the English Language). It’s a tough category as the other four films are much acclaimed too.

Film Not in the English Language

Ida
Leviathan
The Lunchbox
Trash
Two Days, One Night

So, except the FFI, we guess everyone saw the potential of the film.

Congrats to the team Lunchbox! Click here to see the full BAFTA nomination list.

And if you want to read the script of “The Lunchbox”, click here.

Best Of 2014 : Script Of Ashim Ahluwalia’s ‘Miss Lovely’

Posted: January 2, 2015 by moifightclub in cinema, Indie, Screenwriting, Scripts, Year end special
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As we have done in the past, this year too we are trying to source the scripts of some of the best films of the year. As most of you know, the scripts of Hollywood films are easily available online, even the unreleased ones. But we don’t have any such database of Hindi or Indian films. So that has been the primary reason for this initiative. And it has been possible only because some of the screenwriters and filmmakers have been very supportive about it. It’s only for educational purpose and much like the spirit of the blog, is a complete non-profitable exercise.

Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely was easily one of the best films of the year. A film so strong in its atmosphere, it makes you feel you are in the middle of that era where the story is set. And that’s what sets this film distinctly apart from the rest. Smoke-filled rooms, garish costumes, sleaze in every corner – you could almost smell the walls and feel the claustrophobia of the B-movie world created by the filmmaker.

So thanks to Ashim Ahluwalia, we are the sharing the script of Miss Lovely. This is the original English version, without the Hindi dialogues.

In our “Best Of 2014” series, here are the other film scripts that we have shared so far – Ankhon Dekhi is here, Queen is here, and for Dedh Ishqiya, click here.

Film : Miss Lovely

Director : Ashim Ahluwali

Story : Ashim Ahluwalia

Screenplay : Uttam Sirur and Ashim Ahluwalia

Do click on the “Scripts” tab on the top right corner of the blog page to access all the other scripts that we have posted in the past.

First Look : Chaitanya Tamhane’s ‘Court’ gets a trailer

Posted: January 2, 2015 by moifightclub in cast & crew, cinema, first look, Indie, Story / Plot / Synopsis, Trailer
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Finally. Chaitanya Tamhane’s much acclaimed debut film, Court, has finally got a trailer. If you are regular reader of the blog, you must be knowing that some of us managed to catch the film at Mumbai Film Festival and we really liked it. An assured debut, with no frills, and a vision without any compromise. No wonder it’s still doing the fests round. And much like the film, the trailer also maintains the minimalist approach – in tone and even in its font. Have a look.

Cast & Crew

Cast: Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Pradeep Joshi, Usha Bane
Directed by: Chaitanya Tamhane
Produced by: Zoo Entertainment
World Sales: Memento Film International – Artscope

Official Synopsis:

A sewerage worker’s dead body is found inside a manhole in Mumbai. An ageing folk singer is tried in court on charges of abetment of suicide. He is accused of performing an inflammatory song which might have incited the worker to commit the act. As the trial unfolds, the personal lives of the lawyers and the judge involved in the case are observed outside the court.

Best Of 2014 : Script of Rajat Kapoor’s Ankhon Dekhi

Posted: December 30, 2014 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, Indie, Screenwriting, Scripts, Year end special
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As we have done in the past, this year too we are trying to source the scripts of some of the best films of the year. As most of you know, the scripts of Hollywood films are easily available online, even the unreleased ones. But we don’t have any such database of Hindi or Indian films. So that has been the primary reason for this initiative. And it has been possible because some of the filmmakers have been very supportive about it. It’s only for educational purpose and much like the spirit of the blog, is a complete non-profitable exercise.

Rajat Kapoor’s Ankhon Dekhi is easily one of the best films this year. It has made it to the top of the year end list of many critics, filmmakers and our post too. Rajat has always been known for writing and directing unusual and interesting stories. But this time, the film really went beyond just the interesting premise. So here’s the script of Ankhon Dekhi in our “Best of 2014” list.

Thanks to Rajat Kapoor for sharing it. We have Ankhon Dekhi’s script in its pre-shooting original draft.

Do click on the “Scripts” tab on the top right corner of the blog page to access all the other scripts (Queen, The Lunchbox, Shahid, Kai Po Che, D Day, Lootera, Kahaani, Ek Main Aur Ek Tu, Agent Vinod, Dev D etc) that we have posted here so far.

Film – Ankhon Dekhi

Director : Rajat Kapoor

Story, Screenplay, Dialogue – Rajat Kapoor

Prashant Nair’s “Umrika” selected for Sundance Film Festival, 2015

Posted: December 4, 2014 by moifightclub in cinema, film, Film Festival, Indie, News, Story / Plot / Synopsis
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Umrika-1-550x308

The Sundance Institute has unveiled the competition line-up for the 2015 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. The fest will run from January 22nd to February 1st, 2015. Out of 12,166 submissions, about 185 selections were made.

Prashant Nair’s film Umrika will have its world premiere in the “World Cinema Dramatic Competition” section. This section has twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world which offers fresh perspectives and inventive styles. The film is produced by Swati Shetty and Manish Mundra. And here’s the official synopsis of the film –

When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. 

The film’s leading cast includes Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang and Prateik Babbar.

Last year, Geethu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice was in the same section of the Sundance Fest.

Sulemani Keeda – माँ के हाथ की करारी और ज़ायकेदार (Indie)-भिन्डी !

Posted: December 4, 2014 by moifightclub in bollywood, cinema, film, film review, Indie, Movie Recco, movie reviews
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What happens you see a story on screen which seems like pages from your life? You hate it? You love it? Over to Navjot Gulati who writes about Amit Masurkar’s film Sulemani Keeda.

Sulemani Keeda

Disclaimer: I’m a struggling writer/filmmaker for over six years now, so I will be biased towards a film that tells my story, and in the process, will overlook its shortcomings because….

…I’m Vacuous Versova too!

So here it goes. I will now list some incidents which have happened with me or my writers friends lives as it is shown in Sulemaani Keeda. And this should be reason enough for you to not miss Sulemaani Keeda at any cost.

because This SHIT is REAL BRO!

The film is essentially about two friends – Dulaal (Naveen Kasturia) and Mainak (Mayank Tewari) trying to make it as screen-writers in Bollywood, where you really need one talent to be big – to be someone’s son/nephew. If you are an outsider, then all the best. Allah hi aapka maalik hai.

SPOILERS ALERT (But they hardly matter. Read it anyway)

Dulaal gets a call from the girl he is in love with, and she tells him, ‘I met someone’. Boom! His world comes crashing down.

Earlier this year, something similar happened with a friend of mine. He was madly in love with a girl and they were in a complex relationship where the girl would never commit to him, and keep giving him hope that one day they will be together as a couple. But then his world came crashing down just like Dulaal’s. One day she told him, ‘I met someone’, and life was never the same for him. He did use her as an inspiration in many of his stories just like Dulaal did.

The film has a hilarious appearance by Anil ‘Gadar’ Sharma and he sends Mainak and Dulaal to meet Gonzo Kapoor, the son of Sweety Kapoor, who wants to get launched in a film that is East European in sensibility.

Not long ago, a friend of mine was in a similar position. He was called to write the debut vehicle of a famous filmmaker of yesteryear who wanted to launch his son in a cool and contemporary love story (basically it involved a rich boy, poor girl and a college in Mumbai as the backdrop). I hope you get the contradiction – A cool and contemporary love story about a Rich Boy and Poor Girl. My friend was not talented enough to write it, so he said no. They did make it, and surprise – the film BOMBED!

Mainak goes to a party where he meets Oona from Poona, played brilliantly by Ruksaana Tabassum. She asks him to drop her home after the party. Mainak thinks he will finally get some action. But….

Aah, well. What follows next – A hot stud is waiting for Oona (from Poona) inside her house. Mainak’s dreams of getting laid are shattered. Yet again. I’m sure this has happened with almost every guy reading this.

The white handkerchief used as a metaphor for life.

Go hang out in any coffee shop in Versova, or Adarsh Bar, or even the (not so) new hangout of (wannabe) film people – WTF. You will find many out of work stalwarts who can change your life instantly with their pop philosophy, however they have not been able to change their own life.

Mainak and Dulaal are asked to go to a farmhouse to write the screenplay.

Farmhouse writing?

Yes? Yes!

This remains an unfulfilled dream. Once upon a time, a B-grade filmmaker of an unreleased film offered me to come to his farmhouse for fifteen days. He said lets finish the script and then he will take me to Aditya Chopra. Yeah. Right. I guess he meant in his dreams. In reality they won’t even let him cross the security gate of YRF.

Mainak and Dulaal have an argument with their tv-writer friends.

TV writers make a LOT of money but ALL of them want to write films. Film writers want to make a LOT of money but CAN’T write TV. #TrueStoryBro

Dulaal is asked, “which film have you written?” He says, “ek likh raha hoon..Aamir Khan kay liyein..bas milna baaki hai unsey”.

The identity of a filmmaker/writer in this B-town is only from the work that has come out. Spare a thought for thousands of us who have been working our asses off to get that one film made. And trust me, to have a solo film credit as a writer is nothing less than a miracle. After years of trying, one miracle happened in my life which is yet to get released. If there are no fault in my stars, hopefully, it should release next year. I wait that day when I can tell people that I’m the writer of that good film that you saw. And not only me. I’m sure everyone reading this is itching for such a thing to happen.

These are some of the similarities between the film and the life we lead.  However, our lives are not as funny as the film. Kudos to the writer-director Amit Masurkur and his team for making it look so real and yet so funny. The performances by Naveen, Mayank and Aditi Vasudev are exemplary. The writing is brilliant. Efficient direction by Amit. And yes, even the songs are really good. I love the one sung by Namit Das. It’s called the Colaba song. That’s so rare in a desi indi-bhindi!

To cut the long story short, Sulemaani Keeda is one of the best Indie films made in India, and it deserves your ticket money so that people like Shiladitya Bora (of PVR Directors Rare) can continue to support films made with heart and not just ones with big budgets and bigger stars.

(P.S – I know the film will have difficult show timings and high ticket prices but please do watch it. If you don’t have the money, ask me. I will book the ticket for you. I can surely spare 300 rupees from my hard earned money to make sure people see what we go through everyday 😛 )

Offer Valid for 10 tickets only, on first come first serve basis.

– Navjot Gulati

SKeeda

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