10 RECENT INDEPENDENT FILMS FROM INDIA wORTH

A wATCH

k sh Ay

Shot completely in black-and-white, Kshay directed by debutant Karan Gour, is a psychological drama about obsession. Rasika Duggal’s portrayal of an obsessive housewife is outstanding. The film played in four festivals including Dubai International Film Festival 2011.

G ATT u m umb AI c h A R A j A mI ss LOVELy s up ER m EN O f mALEGAON

A heart-warming tale of childlike innocence hidden within us, this film was made with the help of Children’s Film Society of India. The story of a young boy obsessed with kite-flying, Gattu, directed by Rajan Khosa highlights the power of hope.

Manjeet Singh’s film explores the underbelly of Mumbai during the rainy Ganesh festival. Touted to be India’s answer to Slumdog Millionaire, this film is a perfect blend of joy, sorrow and misfortune. The film was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival 2012, the Abu Dhabi Film Festival New Horizons Competition and the Mumbai Film Festival Indian Competition.

Ashim Ahluwalia’s film traverses through a long forgotten era of C-grade Bollywood horror and porn films. Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Niharika Singh, the film competed in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It also won two awards at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival the same year.

The film takes us through the lives of people who are united over a single goal to produce a Malegaon version of Superman by making spoofs on Bollywood films. Before its theatrical release last year, the film bagged 15 awards at various film festivals.

G OOD N IG h T G OOD mORNING ( GNGM ) s hu TTLE cO ck bOys

Shot completely in black-and-white, GNGM plunges into the psyche of the viewers by highlighting the strong desire to be loved. Following screenings at several international film festivals, the tragic yet comic film saw a theatrical release in 2012 and opened to mostly positive reviews.

The film revolves around the lives, successes and failures of four friends who hail from lower middle class backgrounds in Delhi. It made its way to festivals including the Gotham Screen International Film Festival, New York, the Seattle South Asian Film Festival and the Chicago South Asian Film Festival.

D EL h I IN A DAy pEDDLER s uGLy

Prashant Nair’s debut feature, set against the backdrop of a rich family in Delhi, makes a strong statement on the socio-economic strata without deviating from the crux of the plot. The film used flashes of comedy to shine a light on the uncomfortable realities of contemporary life.

This crime-thriller, an ode to Mumbai, revolves around destitute boys who get trapped in the drug trade and a young cop, who tracks them. The film was screened as part of the 2012 International Critics’ Week, an independent film event which runs parallel to the Cannes Film Festival in southern France.

A story about a divorced couple who find their daughter missing, this is Anurag Kashyap’s short film that screened at Cannes this year.

H AR i CHARA n Pu D i PEDD i, IANS