14 May 13, 2011 CINEMA Festival Beyond Bollywood In an attempt to showcase the spectrum of Indian films, this year’s New York Indian Film Festival screened 25 feature films and 22 shorts, Bhargavi Kulkarni writes – NEW YORK (Spring in the Colony) directed by comprised of ilm aficionados in the city debutantes Arjun Gourisaria and artists, critics were fed a high protein diet Moinak Biswas, edged past other and academ- Fof avant garde productions famous Bengali directors like ics including from India May 4-8, at the 11th Aparna Sen and Rituparno Ghosh. New York annual New York Indian Film Capping off five days of Indian University pro- Festival. Organized by the Indo- cinematic extravaganza, the festi- fessor Claus American Arts Council (IAAC) the val closed with a red carpet pre- Mueller, Jaffrey, films were screened at various miere of Rituparno Ghosh's scriptwriter Sabrina locations in the Big Apple. “Noukadubi” at an event attended Dhawan and docu- Glamorous stars and celebrities in by Bollywood stars Rishi Kapoor, mentary maker Kavery the Indian film and social world Neetu Singh Kapoor, author Kaul. mingled with the hoi polloi and Salman Rushdie, film makers Mira This year's festival Indophiles eager to get a taste of Nair, Aparna Sen, actor, author also announced three what’s new on the Indian film fir- and celebrity chef Madhur Jaffrey, partnerships with mament through seminars and former ambassador and IAAC film schools in discussions as well as screenings. board member Prakash Shah, New York and Created in 2001 in the shadow Consul General of India in New India which of the September 11 attacks on York Prabhu Dayal and other include New York City, the festival was celebrities. Mumbai- Jay Mandal/On Assignment started to create a better under- Sen was adjudged best director based standing of the people and stories for “Iti Mrinalini” in which she Whistling from the Indian subcontinent, also acts with her daughter Woods International, The Story of Bal Gandharva,” a screen The Malayalam film, T D Dasan says Aroon Shivdasani, executive Konkona Sen Sharma. Sen Department of Cinema Studies at bio of the legendry performer. Std VI B, which won the award for director of IAAC. It seeks to pres- Sharma won the best actress Tisch, NYU, and the New York Among those nominated for best script, is the story of a young ent critically acclaimed feature award, playing the same title role Film Academy. the best director award was Habib boy’s letters to his father who has films, shorts, and documentaries at different ages. Nominated for best picture was Faisal for “Do Dooni Chaar” and left the family and lives in another from that region and its diaspora. Veteran Bollywood star Rishi director Habib Faisal’s “Do Dooni Ghosh for “Noukadubi.” Veterans state. The films selected for the festi- Kapoor won best actor for his por- Chaar,” which opened the festival Shabana Azmi (“A Decent Mohan Raghavan scripted and val are “like the American indies, trayal of Santosh Duggal, a Delhi- with its North American premiere Arrangement”) and Neetu Singh directed the film. they show a different perspective” based school teacher in “Do May 4 and marked the screen Kapoor (“Do Dooni Chaar”) were Films that explored varied sub- – one that audiences here would Dooni Chaar.” Best screenplay comeback of Rishi Kapoor and nominated for the best actress jects were nominated in the best otherwise not get a chance to see went to Mohan Raghavan for “T.D. Neetu Singh Kapoor as a couple. award with Konkona. Newcomers documentary category. “Bhopali” or experience, Shivdasani was Dasan Std. VI B”. “Bhopali” by The film revolves around a Deepak Dobriyal (“Daayen Ya – the winning film - took another quoted in media reports as saying. Max Carlson was adjudged the middle class family in Delhi and Baayen”), Shahnawaz Bhat look at the devastation caused by A Bengali film exploring the best documentary, and the best their dreams and aspirations. (“Harud”) and “Subodh Bhave the Bhopal gas leak; “Made in tensions between older and newer short film went to “Just That Sort Other films in contention were (Sound of Heaven: The Story of India” took a penetrating look at refugees from Bangladesh over Of A Day” by Abhay Kumar. “Noukadubi” a story of strangers Ban Gandharva”) had to compet- the multi-million dollar surrogacy space for their tenements, won Journalist Aseem Chhabra was brought together by a boat acci- ed with yesteryear’s golden boy industry in India and its costs; top honors. “Sthaniya Sambaad” the festival director and the jury dent and “Sound of Heaven: The Rishi Kapoor. “The Bengali Detective” told the Jay Mandal/On Assignment Jay Left, veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor with his best actor award for “Do Dooni Char” at the closing gala of the 11th annual New York Indian Film Festival at the Asia Society May 8. Above, director Mira Nair presents the best director award to Aparna Sen for “Iti Mrinalini.” www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know.