At NYIFF 2012, Celebrate the 100th Year of Indian Cinema
2012 marks the 100th year of Indian Cinema, so what better time to go on a filmi marathon?
Luckily, the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is just around the corner, so we can eat, drink and dream cinema for 5 days! But Indian cinema is so much more than just Bollywood and here are 10 tips to help you get the best of this multifaceted festival which brings you a rich mix of regional and Hindi cinema.
The 12th annual New York Indian Film Festival is presented by Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), which is headed by Aroon Shivdasani, and runs May 23-27. The Director of the film festival is noted film journalist and passionate movie-goer Aseem Chhabra.
Ten Top Tips For Maximizing the Movie Experience
1. Catch a Matinee! Remember those great hours when you snuck out of college – bunking they called it – to go with friends to catch the latest movie in a matinee show? Sitting in a darkened air-conditioned cinema hall in big city or small town was the greatest experience ever! Now get that nostalgic feel by seeing a matinee at the NYIFF with a gang of friends – lots of choices and a chance to unwind from the daily grind.
2. Enjoy the Shyam Benegal Retrospective. One of India’s most respected directors, Shyam Benegal will actually be in New York and at a Q and A after each of the three powerful, inter-connected movies being shown: A Tribute to Shyam Benegal: A Trilogy based on the script and personal stories of journalist, critic and filmmaker Khalid Mohammed: ‘Mamoo’, ‘Sardari Begum’, and ‘Zubeidaa’.
3. Take a Journey into the Past with Dev! Remember Dev Anand, the Evergreen Hero? Who can forget him? The beloved romantic, who died last year, is being honored with a colorized version of his hit ‘Hum Dono’ with Sadhana and Nanda as his leading ladies. Take a peek at the trailer of ‘Hum Dono Rangeen’ – and judge whether you like this or the golden oldie black and white version better!
4. Go South! You love dosas and idli sambar but if you haven’t seen a Tamil movie you’re missing Southern culture big time! Check out these award winners -‘Azhagarsamy’s Horse’ which was the winner of 2011 National Awards for Best Popular Film providing wholesome Entertainment & for Best Supporting Actor; ‘Aadukalam’, winner of six 2010 National Awards, including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay. Also check out ‘Why This Kolaveri Di: The Biggest Viral Video Sensation of 2011’, starring Dhanush and Shruti Haasan, and directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush.
5. Get your Rituparno Ghosh fix! In this movie Rituparno Ghosh will face the camera again and he is playing the role of a choreographer, who plans to stage the dance drama ‘Chitrangada’ on the occasion of Rabindranath’s 150th birth anniversary.
6.Learn about the wonderful world of Indian cinema from the experts at Q and A’s , panel discussions and seminars.
7. Beat the Cannes crowds! Catch Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ which is being screened at the prestigious Festival de Cannes 2012, as a part of the Director’s Fortnight section. It is the Closing Night red carpet screening at NYIFF and will be followed by the Award Ceremony at Skirball Center for the Arts, NYC.
8. If you’re a fan of docs and shorts,there are several to pencil in on the schedule. You can catch the Oscar winner for Best Documentary short, ‘Saving Face’, directed By Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. Also check out ‘Inshallah Football’, directed by Ashvin Kumar, which won the 2011 National Award for best film on social issues – and was earlier banned by the Censor Board of India.
9. Catch the stars – live! Autograph-hunters rejoice – Shyam Benegal, Anurag Kashyap, Rituparno Ghosh, Salman Rushdie, Madhur Jaffrey, Prashant Nair, Dhanush, Aishwarya Dhanush, Bedabrata Pain, Aasif Mandvi, Suketu Mehta and several other filmmakers and celebrities are expected at the festival.
10. Finally, don’t miss the party-go-round! This is New York! What’s life without some serious partying? The festival has tons of red carpet events, parties, and after-parties. The opening night red carpet screening of Bedabrata Pains’s ‘Chittagong’ at the Paris Theater is followed by the mother of all parties – the opening night gala benefit dinner at the Jumeirah Essex House Ballroom, with special speakers – Ambassador Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador to the US and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney – and of course all the star power and movers and shakers.
As mentioned, ‘The Gangs of Wasseypur’ is the Closing Night red carpet Screening at NYIFF and will be followed by the Award ceremony at Skirball Center for the Arts in Manhattan, where you can root for your favorites. What better way to end a festival, especially in the 100th year of Indian cinema?
