London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) 2022 Program Listings
DOBAARAA
World Premiere
Dir: Anurag Kashyap
With: Taapsee Pannu, Saswata Chaterjee, Rahul Bhatt
120 mins | 2022 | India
Hindi with English subtitles
India’s internationally best known director, Anurag Kashyap, returns to the festival with this surreal Sliding Doors style story, telling of a young nurse (Taapsee Pannu), who moves in with her husband and daughter, next to a derelict house. Searching through the new place they come across an old camcorder. Playing it during an electric storm the nurse, freakishly connects live to a little boy who lived in the house decades before, but died. In an attempt to stop the boy’s death she begs him not to go next door to the deserted house. He delays and this not only disrupts time, but her own life story with terrible consequences.
LONDON:
Thursday 23 June, 18:00, BFI Southbank
Q&A with Anurag Kashyap and special guests
BIRMINGHAM:
Friday 24 June, 19:00, MAC THEATRE
Q&A with Anurag Kashyap
Closing Night Gala
SUPERFAN: THE NAV BHATIA STORY
Dir: Amar Wala
50 mins | 2021 | Canada
English with English subtitles
A unique and uplifting documentary focusing on the life of the Toronto Raptors biggest fan, Nav Bhatia and the massive impact he has had on the city’s basketball community. The film charts his journey to Canada as a low income immigrant worker from India and how his relentless passion for life not only built his career, but as he came into contact with basketball for the first time, quickly expanded into supporting a struggling team. Bhatia not only inspired the players, but inspired generations to get into the sport and has brought together the city’s black and South Asian communities. This is a film that is bound to leave everyone who sees it with a smile on their face and in their hearts.
LONDON:
Sunday 3 July, 15:00, BFI NFT1
Sunday 3 July, 16:00, Picturehouse Central
Q&A with Nav Bhatia and Producer Rinku Ghei
BIRMINGHAM:
Tuesday 5th July, 20:00, MAC THEATRE
Q&A with Nav Bhatia and Producer Rinku Ghei
MANCHESTER:
Wednesday 6 July, 18:00, EVERYMAN
Q&A with Nav Bhatia and Producer Rinku Ghei
Great British Asians Gala
LITTLE ENGLISH
Great British Asians Gala / UK Premiere
Dir: Pravesh Kumar
With: Rameet Rauli, Viraj Juneja, Seema Bowri, Goldy Notay, Ameet Chana, Nikki Patel, Simon Rivers, Shereener Browne and Madhav Sharma
98 mins | 2022 | UK
English with English subtitles
Pravesh Kumar’s debut feature is a laugh-out-loud story of a dysfunctional Punjabi family in the pressure cooker life of a terraced suburban home in West London. Newly arrived from India, naive Simmy has come to marry the family’s eldest son Raj, who shockingly does a runner, leaving Simmy locked in the house by her domineering mother-in-law. However, Simmy is smarter than she appears, and soon enlists the support of the family’s disgruntled in-laws, including a sugar crazed, diabetic grandpa and dangerous, but hot, brother in law, fresh out of jail. Together they plan Simmy’s big escape.
LONDON:
Friday 24 June, 20:30, BFI NFT1
Thursday 30 June, 18:30, Picturehouse Central
Q&A with Pravesh Kumar, cast and crew
MANCHESTER:
Sunday 26 June, 15:30, HOME
Q&A with Pravesh Kumar, cast and crew
BIRMINGHAM:
Wednesday 29 June, 18:00, MAC
Q&A with Pravesh Kumar, cast and crew
BSL screening
In Conversations
Aparna Sen / In Conversation + The Rapist
Dir: Aparna Sen
With: Konkona Sen Sharma, Arjun Rampal, Tanmay Dhania
132 mins | 2021 | India
Join us for a rare talk by India’s greatest and longest standing woman writer director, known for her frank and honest views on women’s experience, filmmaking in Bengal and other matters. Aparna who first came to international attention as a child actor in the legendary director Satyajit Ray’s classic Teen Kanya (Three Girls) (1961), soon established herself as an established filmmaker in Bengal and then internationally with the acclaimed feature 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), a slew of acclaimed hits followed, making her one of the most famous names in Bengali cinema.
Aparna Sen’s Busan premiered drama tells of a survivor of rape of and the struggles she goes through to reconcile her life and future. Aparna Sen’s powerful drama world premiered at Busan. Naina (Konkona Sen Sharma), a professor in criminal psychology, is married to academic Aftab (Arjun Rampal). Their lives change one night when Naina is raped and her friend killed. She testifies and the rapist is sentenced. Naina deals with her trauma when she finds she is pregnant. Director Aparna Sen examines the psychology of violence and raises disturbing questions about gender, class and legal rights.
LONDON:
Saturday 2 July, 17:00, BFI NFT1
In Conversation With Konkona Sen Sharma
Friday 1 July, 18:00, CINÉ LUMIÈRE
One of Bengal’s favourite and multi-award winning actors Konkona made her debut acting role as a child artist in Indira (1983). She won a National Award for Best Actress for her role in Aparna Sen’s critically successful Mr & Mrs Iyer in 2002. Her role in the nationally acclaimed Page 3 took her to wider audiences, with an award winning role in the hit Shakespearean adaptation by Vishal Bhardwaj; Omkara to follow. Her next films won numerous Filmfare and national awards. Konkona’s directorial debut Death In The Gunj (2016), a 1970s period drama was screened at festivals globally and utilised Konkona’s strength of telling enemseble character driven stories. Konkona is an eloquent speaker on mental health and wellbeing and gender politics, based on her own lived experiences.
Taapsee Pannu In Conversation
Saturday 25 June, 20:30, CINÉ LUMIÈRE
Born in Delhi, of Punjabi origin, Taapsee had a brief modelling career before making her acting debut in the Telugu film Jhummandi Naadam and went on to act in the 2011 Tamil film Aadukalam. She made her Hindi film debut with David Dhawan’s comedy Chashme Baddoor (2013). Taapsee was then lauded for her roles in the Hindi secret agent film Baby (2015) and legal drama Pink (2016), both of which were critical and commercial successes. She gained prominence in Hindi movies with films such as The Ghazi Attack (2017), Mulk (2018), and the romantic drama Manmarziyaan (2018). As a talented, versatile actor with broad linguistic abilities she is able to command work in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam language films and won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress for playing a homely woman struggling through a divorce in Anubhav Sinha’s drama Thappad in 2020.
In Conversation With Nandita Das
Thursday 30 June, 18:00, CINÉ LUMIÈRE
Nandita is one of those actors who seems to be loved everywhere she goes, none less than her roles at Cannes, where she has served twice as a jury member. Highly intelligent, an effortlessly elegant character actor with an ability to speak numerous Indian languages, Nandita has played in over 40 feature films so far directed by some of India’s top indie directors. Her memorable debut being the pioneering love story Fire, directed by Deepa Mehta, which was distributed globally. Nandita was able to utilise her literary background in her two features so far as a director, the subtly political drama Firaaq (2008) and Manto (2018) which premiered at Cannes Un Certain Regard. In 2011, she was made Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government, for her work in Indo-French co-operation in cinema, and was the first Indian to be inducted into the International Hall of Fame International Women’s Forum in Washington. Nandita is a tireless champion of cinema, human rights and health.
Aparna Sen & Konkona Sen Sharma / In Conversation
Monday 4 July, 18:00, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Part of Birmingham City University
Join us for a rare talk by India’s greatest and longest standing woman writer director, known for her frank and honest views on women’s experience, filmmaking in Bengal and other matters. Aparna who first came to international attention as a child actor in the legendary director Satyajit Ray’s classic Teen Kanya (Three Girls) (1961), soon established herself as an established filmmaker in Bengal and then internationally with the acclaimed feature 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981), a slew of acclaimed hits followed, making her one of the most famous names in Bengali cinema.
One of Bengal’s favourite and multi-award winning actors Konkona made her debut acting role as a child artist in Indira (1983). She won a National Award for Best Actress for her role in Aparna Sen’s critically successful Mr & Mrs Iyer in 2002. Her role in the nationally acclaimed Page 3 took her to wider audiences, with an award winning role in the hit Shakespearean adaptation by Vishal Bhardwaj; Omkara to follow. Her next films won numerous Filmfare and national awards. Konkona’s directorial debut Death In The Gunj (2016), a 1970s period drama was screened at festivals globally and utilised Konkona’s strength of telling enemseble character driven stories. Konkona is an eloquent speaker on mental health and wellbeing and gender politics, based on her own lived experiences.
THE RAPIST – Birmingham Screening
UK Premiere
Dir: Aparna Sen
With: Konkona Sen Sharma, Arjun Rampal, Tanmay Dhania
132 mins | 2021 | India
Aparna Sen’s Busan premiered drama tells of a survivor of rape of and the struggles she goes through to reconcile her life and future. Aparna Sen’s powerful drama world premiered at Busan. Naina (Konkona Sen Sharma), a professor in criminal psychology, is married to academic Aftab (Arjun Rampal). Their lives change one night when Naina is raped and her friend killed. She testifies and the rapist is sentenced. Naina deals with her trauma when she finds she is pregnant. Director Aparna Sen examines the psychology of violence and raises disturbing questions about gender, class and legal rights.
Thursday, 30 June, 19:00, MAC
GANDHI 40
Dir: Richard Attenborough
With: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Rohini Hattangadi
191 mins | 1982 | UK, USA, India, South Africa
English, Hindi with English subtitles
On the epic film’s 40th anniversary, LIFF presents and re-examines the movie that brought the Gujarati independence leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi back to world attention in the 1980s, with screenings of the film even allegedly helping to spark the non-violent Czech Velvet Revolution, much as the real Gandhi’s Ahimsa campaigns had inspired earlier revolutionary movements around the world. Winning 8 Oscars with an all-star Indian and UK cast, this is a rare chance to see the full visual spectacle and unforgettable soundscape of Gandhi on the big screen at BFI’s NFT1.
Saturday 25 June, 18:45, BFI NFT1
Young Rebels
Young people often challenge and change the world with fresh ideas and open hearts. We present a clutch of new films that depict young South Asians, some are joyous while others present youth facing and overcoming real-life challenges in South Asia today.
AMERICANISH
European Premiere
Dir: Iman Zawahry
With: Aizzah Fatima, Shenaz Treasury, Lillete Dubey
91 mins | 2021 | USA
English
Set in Jackson Heights NY, a heartwarming comedy about a first generation immigrant Pakistani mom (Lilette Dubey), is still recovering from her husband dumping her and the girls years ago. She is now conflicted by the tradition of getting her grown daughters, Maryam and Sam, hitched to suitable Pakistani boys. None too impressed by the young men who come to dinner at mom’s, they decide to take matters into their own hands.
LONDON:
Sunday 26 June, 15:00, Picturehouse Central
Wednesday 29 June, 18:15 Ciné Lumière
Q&A with Iman Zawahry and guests
BIRMINGHAM:
Tuesday 28 June, 20:00, MAC
Q&A with Iman Zawahry and guests
MANCHESTER:
Friday 1 July, 19:00, Ducie Street Warehouse
Q&A with Iman Zawahry and guests
EMUTHI PUTHI (THE VERY FISHY TRIP)
European Premiere
Dir: Kulanandani Mahanta
With: Pratibha Choudhury, Neetali Das, Srishti Sharma
103 mins | 2021 | India
Assamese with English subtitles
Head strong teen Ritika hates her life under the strict control of her mother Indira,who also happens to be a senior cop. Ritika wants to escape. Ritika’s aged but free spirited grandmother has long dreamed of eating her favourite rural fish curry and then disappearing from the world. The pair come to a pact of convenience to help each other out and one night run away from home. What ensues is a frantic road adventure that takes this unlikely duo to unexpected places, coming across all manner of madcap characters, while Ritika’s police woman mum is hot on their trail.
LONDON :
Tuesday 28 June, 20:15, Ciné Lumière
Wednesday 29 June, 18:00, Rich Mix
BIRMINGHAM:
Sunday 26 June, 12:00, MAC
GHARE PHERAR GAAN (HOMECOMING SONG)
International Premiere
Dir: Aritra Sen
With: Ishaa Saha, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Gourab Chatterjee, Reshmi Sen
140 mins | 2022 | India
Bengali, English
This uplifting musical follows the journey of Tora (Ishaa Saha), a girl from the suburbs of Kolkata, to her marital home in London. Tora is in dissonance with the high-flying lives of her NRI doctor husband Ribhu and her council-woman mother-in-law Shanta, and thus starts searching for solace outside the bounds of her home. This is when Imran (Parambrata Chattopadhyay), a consummate musician from India, enters her life, making the caged bird inside her sing again and embrace life on her own terms. The film closely portrays the lives of Bengalis in London and the alienation that is felt by a new immigrant from abroad. Yet the city of London, somehow, subsumes one with time and becomes home to the lost souls.
Saturday 2 July, 20:45, Picturehouse Central
Q&A with talent expected
GIRLS FOR FUTURE
Dir: Irja Von Bernstoff
88 mins | 2021 | Australia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Senegal
English, Hindi, Indonesian with English subtitles,
Girls For Future is an inspiring doc about four young front line activists, aged between 11 and 14 years old from Indonesia, Senegal, India and Australia. They represent the voice of a new generation directly affected by the climate crisis and environmental degradation at their doorstep. These four young women show tremendous endeavour, courage and power as they take on the government officials and established norms and try to bring about real world solutions to restore and protect their family and homelands, and our global climate.
Sunday 26 June – Monday 27 June, available for 48 hours at loveliffathome.com
Extra-Ordinary Lives
LIFF showcases independent films, which celebrate depictions of ordinary lives through fiction and documentaries. This year we screen a selection of films that show glimpses of real life in the sub-continent and Asian diaspora, which are sometimes challenging, sometimes feelgood, even comic, but always compelling.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN CALCUTTA
UK PREMIERE
Dir: Aditya Vikram Sengupta
With: Sreelekha Mitra, Shayak Roy, Bratya Basu
131 mins | 2021 | India, France, Norway
Bengali with English subtitles
World premiered at Venice Film Festival, Sengupta’s gorgeously shot film follows the story of Ela, a failed actress; she has recently lost her daughter – who was the only reason for Ela to stay with her husband. Ela faces various setbacks in her personal, professional and love life, but she doesn’t lose hope and sets out to find a new identity, love and independence in the booming streets of Calcutta. Helmed by beautifully nuanced performance from Sreelekha Mitra, the film captures the hustle and bustle of a city constantly in a state of flux.
LONDON:
Thursday 30 June, 18:00, BFI NFT2
Friday 1 July, 20:00, Ciné Lumière
BIRMINGHAM:
Saturday 2 July, 17:30, The Electric
DUG DUG
European Premiere
Dir: Ritwik Pareekh
With: Altaf Khan, Gaurav Soni, Yogendra Sing
107 mins | 2021 | India
Hindi with English Subtitles
Ritwik Pareekh’s striking and infectiously funny satire explores the roots of faith and the commercialisation of religion. After a freak accident kills an alcoholic middle aged man named Thakur, the Dug-Dug brand motorcycle he is riding is taken away from the scene and locked up at a nearby police station. The following morning, the bike mysteriously appears back at the site of the crash. It is once again taken away by baffled police but once again the next day returns to the scene of the accident. Word of this strange occurance spreads through the village leading the locals to believe they are witnessing divinity and the work of a higher power at play.
Tuesday 28 June, 17:50, Barbican
Q&A with Ritwik Pareekh
CHHELLO SHOW (LAST FILM SHOW)
UK Premiere
Dir: Pan Nalin
With: Bhavin Rabari, Bhavesh Shrimali, Richa Meena
100 mins | 2021 | India, France
Gujarati with English subtitles
Samay, a mischievous nine-year-old boy living in a remote village in Gujarat discovers film for the first time and is spellbound. Against his fathers he regularly visits the local cinema and forms a bond with the projectionsist who, in exchange for his lunch box, lets him watch movies for free. As their friendship grows, Samay learns more about the endless possibilities cinema brings and sets off in pursuit of his 35mm dreams, unaware of the adventures that lie in wait. Pan Nalin’s latest is not only a homage to the cinema of the past, but a joyous reminder of the awe and wonder of a child’s imagination. This feel-good film was an audience favourite at Tribeca Film Festival.
LONDON
Sunday 26 June, 15:00, BFI NFT1
Tuesday 28 June, 18:00, Ciné Lumière
Q&A with Pan Nalin
BIRMINGHAM
Saturday 25 June, 19:30, MAC
Q&A with Pan Nalin
NO LAND’S MAN
Dir: Mostofa Sawar Farooki
With: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Eisha Chopra, Megan Mitchell
101 mins | 2021 | USA, India, Bangladesh, Australia
English, Hindi, Urdu, French, Bengali with English subtitles
In 2019, a man named Naveen (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) disappears from a memorial
park in Sydney while travelling with his girlfriend Cathy. Flashback to New York two years earlier, Naveen finds a job at a restaurant where he meets Cathy, but he is never able to truly be himself, struggling to forge an identity as a migrant in the city. As their relationship deepens, Naveen’s lies begin to catch up with him and unable to tell the truth about anything including his name and nationality, his relationship with Cathy is put to the test and his own existence questioned. One of leading figures of new Bangladeshi cinema, Farooki’s latest is a stirring tale of a man desperately seeking to manufacture an identity in a new place that will allow him to just exist.
LONDON:
Friday 24 June, 18:00, Ciné Lumière
Saturday 25 June, 20:45, Picturehouse Central
Q&A with Mostofa Sawar Farooki
MANCHESTER:
Monday, 4 July, 18:15, HOME
URF (A.K.A)
UK Premiere
Dir: Geetika Narang Abbasi
94 mins | 2022 | India
Hindi with English subtitles
To look like a film star is one thing, to be a lookalike of one is quite another. The latter comes with a stamp of ‘urf’ or ‘also known as’ for life. Lookalikes are as much a part of Indian popular cinema as the mega stars that front the industry, their popularity reaching such heights that they even have their own films, which are often satirical revisions of beloved classics. Focusing on lives of Kishore Bhanushali, Firoz Khan and Prashant Walde, lookalikes of superstars Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, Urf unravels a unique world where one’s own identity is consumed by fame, while also bringing a fascinating perspective on stardom and cinema.
Saturday 25 June, 20:30, Rich Mix
Sunday 26 June, 18:00, Picturehouse Stratford
Q&A with Geetika Narang Abbasi
PAKA: THE RIVER OF BLOOD
UK Premiere
Dir: Nithin Lukose
With: Basil Paulose, Vinitha Koshy
101 mins | 2021 | India
Malayalam with English subtitles
With echoes of Romeo and Julliet, a tale of violent inter-family vengeance, set aside a river that runs through a village in North Kerala. Nithin Lukose’s character focused film follows Johnny and Anna, two lovers from opposing sides of the conflict who plan to unite the two families. However the arrival of Johnny’s uncle from gaol reignites the flames of the simmering conflict and throws Johnny and Annas plans into disarray.
LONDON:
Thursday 30 June, 18:00, Rich Mix
BIRMINGHAM:
Monday 27 June, 20:00, The Electric
TAANGH
European Premiere
Dir: Bani Sing
89 mins | 2022 | India
English
Bani Singh’s phenomenal in-depth look into her father’s past as a gold medalist hockey player starts off as a lovely look down memory lane that soon develops into an investigative documentary into the lost friendships and fallout of the Partition of India. As well as a sense of pride as the new India takes on their former British rulers to win at the 1948 London Olympics. A beautiful and touching story that marks the importance of collecting the oldest generations’ stories that will soon be gone.
LONDON:
Thursday 30 June, 18:20, Bertha Dochouse
Saturday 2 July – Sunday 3 July, available for 48 hours at loveliffathome.com
Q&A with Bani Singh
BIRMINGHAM:
Sunday 3 July, 19:30, The Electric
Q&A with Bani Singh
APARAJITO (THE UNDEFEATED)
International Premiere
Dir: Anik Dutta
With: Jeetu Kamal, Saayoni Ghosh, Jeetu Kamal, Debasish Roy
138 mins | 2022 | India
Bengali with English subtitles
A must see for all fans of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. This drama lovingly portrays the early years of Ray’s film career which were to have such an impact on Bengali and then world cinema. Working in a British advertising company in Calcutta the young Ray gets an opportunity for training in London. Here he is exposed for the first time to the widest range of world cinema. Returning home, he and cineaste friends set up Calcutta’s first film society, from which the plan to shoot the wondrous Pather Panchali is hatched.
LONDON :
Friday 24 June, 20:30, Ciné Lumière
BIRMINGHAM:
Sunday 26 June, 13 :30, The Electric
NO GROUND BENEATH THE FEET
European Premiere
Dir: Mohammad Rabby Mridha
With: Priyam Archi, Rocky Chowdury, Deepanwita Martin
91 mins | 2021 | Bangladesh
Bengali with English subtitles
This must-see film opens with a mafia don shaving a terrified Saiful in a barber shop chair, with a cut throat razor, reminding him to pay up. This high style film continues in a similar fast based vien, as impoverished Dhaka based ambulance driver Saif is faced to deal with the relentless struggle for survival. Living two lives, his town wife demands duty, while he hears from his real wife and children by the coast, that a flood is coming. Hoping to rescue his family, Saif tries ever riskier jobs, conflicting his morality in order to save the day.
LONDON:
Saturday 25 June, 18:00, Ciné Lumière
Sunday 26 June, 18:00, Rich Mix
Q&A with Mohammad Rabby Mridha
BIRMINGHAM
Monday 27 June, 19:00, MAC
Q&A with Mohammad Rabby Mridha
Great British Asians
In this time of changin images of ‘Britishness’, it’s important and indeed vital to consider the South Asian contribution to modern Britain. This is clearly seen in films and arts of the last 4 decades. LIFF here presents a showcase of some iconic films and musicians, capturing our unique journey, as well as celebrating bright new emerging talent. Catch talks in cinemas and online with some of our greatest talents.
MIRROR MIRROR: THE EARLY FILMS OF YUGESH WALIA
Dir: Yugesh Walia
Mirror Mirror: 25 mins | 1980 | UK
English
Sweet Chariot: 23 mins | 1981 | UK
English
African Oasis: 35 mins | 1982 | UK
English
A trilogy of early short films by the pioneering Midlands based filmmaker, Yugesh Walia, exploring themes of culture and identity in 1980s Britain, which present a unique cultural record and perspectives of those turbulent times for Asian and Black immigrant communities in the UK.
Q&A with Yugesh Walia
LONDON:
Wednesday 29 June, 18:00, Barbican
MANCHESTER:
Saturday 25 June, 14:00, MAC
ASIAN VIBES LONDON & ASIAN VIBES BOMBAY
Dir: Ashim Ahluwalia
Asian Vibes London:
An essential guide to the paradigm-shifting British Asian electronic music scene. From the rubble of race and class conflict in the 1980s emerges a new breed of British Asian artist – politically sensitive, culturally complex and musically radical. The film documents a whole range of personalities, ranging from Bhangra pioneer Kuljit Bhamra, TJ Rehmi, Cornershop, Asian Dub Foundation, FunDaMental and Apache Indian, to another generation of artists such as Shiva Sound System and Swami.
Asian Vibes Bombay:
In Mumbai what was old is made new again as an emerging DJ culture rewires Bollywood film music. This electrifying documentary explores new forms of sound emerging from the frenetic metropolis. From rickshaw drivers flexing their bass speakers to dissident hip-hop DJs merging turntables with tablas, ASIAN VIBES – BOMBAY is a pop riot. Combining underground video aesthetics, archival Bollywood clips and an exploratory documentary approach. It celebrates the chaotic energy of contemporary India while reaching back to discover how it all began. Featuring Bappi Lahiri, Kersi Lord and others.
104 mins | 2002, 2004 | India, France
English
LONDON:
Friday 24 June, 18:00, Rich Mix
BIRMINGHAM:
Sunday 26 June, 18:00, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Panel Discussion
THE STORY OF BRITISH BHANGRA
Based on last year’s big interest in British Asian music videos, we have this year been working with some great musicians to present a special live performance charting the growth of British Bhangra in the 1980s and 90s, created by young artists mixing traditional and modern music forms in Birmingham and London. This new Bhangra sound went on to influence the UK, India and the world. Acclaimed music producer and composer Kuljit Bhamra will present a legendary line up of great British acts at Rich Mix. Followed by DJs. Don’t miss the unique one-off event!
Updated information on this event and performers line up available at www.londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk
Friday 24 June, 20:00, Rich Mix
FOUR LIONS
Dir: Christopher Morris
With: Riz Ahmed, Adeel Akhtar, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay
97 mins | 2010 | UK
English
From the minds behind Brass Eye and Peep show comes this rip-roaring comedy about four British Muslims who set out to commit an act of terror. What follows is a hilarious, sharply written satire looking into the ideology of idiots. Covering a difficult topic with extremely sharp writing, it’s a film that manages to avoid being insensitive and even becomes emotional.
Friday 1 July, 21:00, Roof East
Save The Planet
It’s never been a more important time to get in touch with the natural world and ancient Indian principles of harmony with nature. LIFF showcases here dramas and documentaries that reflect pressing ecological concerns as a main theme, or as a dramatic background to our protagonist’s stories.
HATI BONDHU: FRIENDS OF ELEPHANTS
Dir: Kripal Kalita
51 mins | 2020 | India
Assamese with English subtitles
With destruction of Elephant’s forests in Assam and the expansion of the human population, human-elephant conflict has increased massively resulting in mortalities on both sides. This inspiring and informative documentary showcases the efforts of the non-profit organisation ‘Hati Bondhu’ to save the lives of these majestic, intelligent animals, and help the farmers’ rice harvest prosper, stopping the conflict between the two.
Tuesday 28 June, 20:30, Rich Mix
THE ROAD TO KUTHRIYAR
Dir: Bharat Mirle
115 mins | 2021 | India
English, Tamil with English subtitles
Seamlessly blending a dreamily scripted adventure story and documentary style together, Bharat Mirle’s debut feature follows Dhruv, a young wildlife surveyor from the city who is conducting a mammal survey of the Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. With support from the seemingly shifty tribesman guide Dorai, the unlikely pair form a strong bond of trust and friendship and Dhruv begins to see the world and the forest in a whole new light.
Monday 27 June, 18:10, Barbican
MOVING UPSTREAM: GANGA
Dir: Shridhar Sudhir
105 mins | 2021 | India
Bengali, Hindi, English with English subtitles
Filmed over six months on a 2,500km walk along the River Ganges, this stunning documentary explores the idea of walking in this fast paced modern world and man’s evolving relationship with the natural world and bringing a much needed spotlight on the voices and concerns of the communities that depend on India’s greatest watercourse.
Thursday 30 June – Friday 1 July, available for 48 hours at loveliffathome.com
CHASING SUSTAINABILITY: TALES FROM SOUTH ASIA
Dir: Sidra Altaf, Omkar Khandagale & Aditya Thakkar and Joel Elias
76 mins | 2021 | UK, India, Pakistan
Bengali, Hindi, English with English subtitles
A collection of short films curated by Dr. Anjali Jayakumar looking at the effect climate change has on the people and ecosystem of South Asia, from the mangroves and sea life of Karachi, the droughts of Maharashtra that have affected the livelihoods of sugar plantation workers to the farms of Kerala and the impact environmental regulations have had on their lives.
Tuesday 28 June – Wednesday 29 June, available for 48 hours at loveliffathome.com
Women Make Movies
One area that the festival prides itself on is platforming a wide range of women filmmakers. These directors’ works often challenge the status quo, offering fresh stories and many also contribute to a diversity of authentic portrayals of women’s experience on cinema screens.
MISSISSIPPI MASALA
30th Anniversary Restoration
Dir: Mira Nair
With: Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhary, Roshan Seth
118 mins | 1991 | USA, UK
English
Recognising the 50th anniversary of Asian expulsions from East Africa LIFF presents this glorious restoration of a much loved film. After Mina’s (Sarita Choudhury) Indian family is forced out of Uganda, they relocate to rural Mississippi to start a new life. Mina’s traditional family wants her to marry an Indian, but she falls for Demitrius (Denzel Washington), a handsome young carpet cleaner. However their budding relationship struggles to get off the ground as tensions rise and Mina is forced to choose between her love and her family. Mira Nair’s dazzling and heartfelt romance explores issues of race, class and privilege which are still pertinent today.
LONDON:
Thursday 30 June, 19:00, Picturehouse Stratford
Saturday 2 July, 20:30, Ciné Lumière
BIRMINGHAM:
Tuesday 28 June, 14:00, MAC
MANCHESTER:
Thursday 30 June, 12.30, Ducie Street Warehouse
Q&A with Mira Nair on www.LoveLIFFatHome.com
LADIES ONLY
Dir: Rebana Liz John
79 mins | 2021 | Germany, India
Hindi with English subtitles
‘What makes you angry?’ a filmmaker asks a woman traveller in the ‘Ladies Only’ compartments of Mumbai local trains running in and out of the main stations. The answers to this and many other questions are both insightful and surprising, highlighting the issues, hopes and struggles of womanhood in India today, in the face of the frenetic non-stop Mumbai lifestyle. The changing light, faces and languages creates a poetic rhythm flowing through this engrossing and must-see documentary.
LONDON:
Wednesday 29 June, 20:20, Bertha Dochouse
Thursday 30 June, 20:15, Ciné Lumière
Q&A with Rehana Liz John TBC
BIRMINGHAM:
Friday 1 July, 19:30, The Electric
Q&A with Rehana Liz John TBC
MANCHESTER:
Tuesday 28 June, 12.30, HOME (Women only screening)
Tuesday 28 June, 18.15, HOME
ANITA & ME
Dir: Methin Huseyin
With: Chandeep Uppal, Anna Brewster, Sanjeev Bhaskar
92 mins | 2002 | UK
English
We celebrate the 20th anniversary of the movie adaptation of Meera Syal’s seminal semi-autobiographical book. Meena Kumar lives in a small, predominantly white village in the Midlands, where she finds conflict between her heritage as Punjabi and the culture she was brought up in as British. Dealing with issues of race and identity with tact and understanding, this coming of age film is an important landmark in British Asian cinema.
Friday 1 July, 20:45, Picturehouse Central
Followed by a Q&A with the iconic writer and actor Meera Syal (TBC)
WE MAKE FILM
Dir: Shweta Ghosh
80 mins | 2021 | UK, India
English, Hindi, Bengali with English subtitles
We celebrate the 20th anniversary of the movie adaptation of Meera Syal’s seminal semi-autobiographical book. Meena Kumar lives in a small, predominantly white village in the Midlands, where she finds conflict between her heritage as Punjabi and the culture she was brought up in as British. Dealing with issues of race and identity with tact and understanding, this coming of age film is an important landmark in British Asian cinema.
Thursday 23 June – Saturday 25 June, available for 48 hours at loveliffathome.com
Followed by an online conversation with Dr. Shweta Gosh and more
Brit-Asian Shorts
Support your local filmmaker! A chance to see the work of exciting and diverse emerging filmmakers from across the UK. From award-winning dramas to insightful docs, we see a rarely presented slice of life of Asian Britain today. Expect a discussion with young filmmakers on stage.
Part 1: Saturday 25 June, 18:15, Rich Mix
LOVE DEATH AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Dir: Soham Kundu
29 mins | UK
English
Experiencing their son’s life after his unnatural death while navigating their failing marriage; mourning parents Mira and Pradeep cannot overcome their grief but start to build their lives around it.
YAHA WAHA
Dir: Sarah Li
31 mins | UK
Hindi with English subtitles
This documentary follows two LGBTQ+ South Asians living in London and making a living in the arts and music scene.
Part 2:
Sunday 26 June, 15:00, Barbican
Sunday 3rd July, 6.00pm, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
51 STATES
Dir: Cass Virdee
15 mins
In an all too possible future, a Sikh wife and mother risks execution in the fight to be reunited with her family.
PRESS KEY 5
Dir: Lipa Hussain
10 mins
When lockdown restrictions leave Ayesha unable to interpret in person, she must deliver life changing news over the phone everyday.
CATCH A BUTCHER
Dir: Cassiah Joski-Jethi
13 mins
In a 19th Century Indian maternity ward, a nurse’s first night on the job descends into terror when Anglo-Indian babies go missing.
TASBEEH
Dir: Iqbal Mohammed
12 mins
Two young British Pakistani men reunite in their deprived Northern town only to realise they now live very different lives.
BOOTS ON GROUND
Dir: Kiran Kaur Brar
9 mins
An autobiographical account of a second generation British South Asian women’s experiences with the police, racism and violence in London.
KITCHEN TALES
Dir: Jane Moriarty
23 mins
Newly Indian immigrants to the UK navigate 40 years of marriage through the food they make and the meals they share as their family grows and their love struggles to survive.
Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition
The festival’s annual Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition is a rare chance to see the works of talented and emerging filmmakers who are exploring themes of South Asian experience, that also in different ways reflect the humanist ideals of the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray. The winner will be announced on 3rd July.
Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition Part 1
Sunday 26 June, 16:00, Rich Mix
Thu 23 June – Sun 3rd July at www.loveliffathome.com
7 STAR DINOSAUR ENTERTAINMENT
Dir: Vaishali Naik
20 mins | India | Hindi with English subtitles
Few years back, two brothers set up a Business together, “7 Star Dinosor Entertainment’. Dressed as giant dinosaurs they would dance to Bollywood songs at weddings and parties. Life was good until the Covid pandemic struck.
KAKATHURUTH
Dir: Mohammed Ali Faisal
24 mins | India | Malayalam with English subtitles
Set on a remote island in Kerala, Kakathuruth tells the tale of Jose, a newcomer to the island, who befriends a local fish farmer. As their close friendship develops it becomes clear that Jose may have an ulterior motive.
DESTINATION PARADISE
Dir: Eshaan Yogesh Rajadhyaksha
20 mins | Czech Republic | Czech, Hindi, Ukrainian with English subtitles
An illegal Indian Immigrant, en route to, what he hopes is a better life in London, finds himself stuck on a farm in the Czech countryside.
BHAI (BROTHERS)
Dir: Mohammed Ali Faisal
24 mins | India | Urdu with English subtitles
On Pakistan’s independence day, two teenage boys go out to celebrate at a fast food restaurant – when a dancing monkey interrupts.
MASTERJI
Dir: Sameer Sharma
9 mins | India | Hindi with English subtitles
A biology teacher on the verge of retirement has to learn a new style of teaching as India enters lockdown. Will he be able to adapt and continue inspiring his students.
Satyajit Ray Short Film Competition Part 2
Wednesday 29 June, 20:30, Rich Mix
JAAGRAN
Dir: Hardik Sadhwani, Ritviq Joshi
19 mins | India | Hindi with English subtitles
Desperate and frustrated by the stale monotony of his life, a naive auto rickshaw driver decides to trade his peaceful existence for a chance to earn a quick buck.
TIGRESS
Dir: Maya Bastian
13 mins | Canada | English, Tamil with English subtitles
Follows the fast paced and drug fuelled existence of a young Tamil-Canadian woman who encounters another version of herself as a paramilitary fighter for the Tamil Tigers
HIDE N SEEK
Dir: Anuke Sethi
10 mins | USA | English
A poetic exploration of a girl’s struggle to navigate the in between spaces of her multicultural identity.
ASTRONAUT AND HIS PARROT
Dir: Arati Kadav
15 mins | India | Hindi with English subtitles
An accident causes a spaceship to explode and an astronaut tumbles out of it. He starts floating and falling in space and frantically tries to connect to someone but all he gets is a parrot.
CHEEPATAKADUMPA
Dir: Devashish Makhija
24 mins | India | Hindi with English subtitles
Three small town friends, their reunion, a gorilla, a bull, the full moon, the kundalini, a tomato, a patriarchy-smashing mischief!
BOMgAY – THE PIONERING SHORTS OF RIYAD VINCI WADIA
Dir: Riyad Wadia
64 mins | 2022 | India
Hindi with English subtitles
Born into the pioneering Bollywood Wadia Movietone family in Mumbai meant that Riyad’s early life was anything but usual. He grew up to be a fearless and spirited individual and an out gay young man in the early 1990s when such identity politics were illegal in India. We screen two of his pioneering short films BOMgAY a searingly explicit insight into Mumbai’s secret gay world, shown at festivals around the world, and A Mermaid Called Aida (1996), an early film on Transexual experience in India, that although dated presents a unique record. Riyad passed away in 2003, but his influence on the Indian LGBTQIA+ movements lives on.
Saturday 25 June, 18:00, Barbican
Too Desi Too Queer 1
Alongside city-wide Pride celebrations in London we are delighted to present our super-hit ‘Too Desi Too Queer’ shorts programme, exploring images of the lives, experiences and well being of South Asian LGBTQIA+ communities in the Subcontinent and diaspora, through a dynamic and thought-provoking selection of recent LGBTQIA+ short films.
LONDON:
Friday 1 July, 18:00, BFI NFT1
BEGUM PARVATHI
Dir: Radhika Prasidha
8 mins | Maylayalam
MUHAFIZ (THE PROTECTOR)
Dir: Pradipta Ray
20 mins | Hindi
QUEER PARIVAAR
Dir: Shiva Raichandani
25 mins | English, Gujarati
MY MOTHERS GIRLFRIEND
Dir: Arun Fulara
15 mins | Marathi/Hindi
TRINITY
Dir: Hetain Patel
23 mins | English, Gujarati
MANCHESTER:
Thursday 30 June, 17:45pm, HOME
BIRMINGHAM
Friday 1 July, 18:30, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Too Desi Too Queer 2
Funded by the Arts Council England we present a live performance by dancer and storyteller Ash Mukherjee, exploring his youthful inspirations and Queerness, from Bollywood classics to a rich diversity of other inspirations. Accompanied by a pinch of LGBTQIA+ short films (full programme to be confirmed).
Wednesday 29 June, 20:30, Ciné Lumière
COMING OUT WITH THE HELP OF A TIME MACHINE
Dir: Naman Gupta
With: Karan Soni, Sangeeta Agrawal, Raghuram Shetty
20 mins | USA | 2021
English
MADHU
Dir: Tanmay Chowdhary, Tanvi Chowdhary
With:
13 mins | India | 2022
Marathi with English Subtitles
VISHNU’S GOT MY BACK
Originally commissioned by SHOUT Festival in partnership with Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage
