The UK’s top celebration of Indian cinema begins on June 16 this year as a hybrid festival, allowing viewers to enjoy the movies in various British cities or at home. This is the 12th version of the event and there are some very interesting movies lined up for film lovers this year. So, what can we expect from the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival?
Opening Movie – WOMB
The festival begins with the 2020 documentary WOMB (Women of My Billion), from director Ajitesh Sharma and starring Pragya Prasun Singh and Neha Rai alongside Srishti Bakshi. It runs for just over 100 minutes and will be shown on June 17 at the BFI London. We see how a woman walks 4,000km across India over a duration of 240 days, meeting a diverse group of women along the way.
Srishti Bakshi starts her journey in Kanyakumari, in the South of the country, before heading North to Kashmir. While it is largely focused on the struggles faced by women in modern-day India, it turns into a heart-warming exploration of how they are overcoming these challenges. The movie is followed by a Q&A session with Bakshi and film critic Anna Smith.
The Young Rebels Section – Koozhangal (Pebbles)
The festival’s movies are divided into themed sections, such as the Young Rebels selection. This is where they have gathered together films showing the obstacles facing some South Asian people, some in the form of dramas and others with a lighter or more comedic approach.
Among them is P.S Vinothraj’s debut movie Koozhangal (Pebbles). This 75-minute feature stars Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan. Filmed in Tamil and with English subtitles, it follows a man trying to track down his wife, and his relationship with his son who he takes along with him. It won the Tiger Award when presented at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam this year.
Extraordinary Lives – Karkhanisanchi Waari (Ashes on a Road Trip)
The next section looks at how the selected Indian independent movies show us people living ordinary lives in very different ways. Among the options in this category is called Karkhanisanchi Waari (Ashes on a Road Trip) and is from director Mangesh Joshi.
It runs for 108 minutes and is a dark comedy which was filmed in Marathi and with English subtitles. The head of the Karkhanis family passes away and the rest of them leave the city of Pune in their van to scatter his ashes in the remote village they come from.
Closing Night Gala – Flight
The event comes to a close on July 2 at the Cine Lumiere in the British capital, with this 1997 British movie from director Alex Pillai. The stars featured in it include Mina Anwar, Kulvinder Ghir, and Roshan Seth. Running for 75 minutes, it follows the story of a girl in Northern England from a Hindu family who falls in love with a boy from a Muslim family.
Once people find out about their relationship, she runs away to London. The discovery of a secret women’s shelter gives her a temporary taste of freedom before she is put in danger again. The movie is followed by the director, cast, and crew taking part in a question-and-answer session.
How Indian Culture Has Entered the Mainstream
The growing popularity of Bollywood movies and other Asian films among Western audiences suggests that the London Indian Film Festival in 2021 should be a success. To date, the most internationally successful movie to come out of India was 2016’s Dangal, which is believed to have earned gross overseas revenue of $260 million.
Yet, while the movies from here can be rated as highly as films from other cultures in many cases, it is clear that the Indian culture has crossed over in more areas than simply the cinematic industry. For example, Deepak Chopra has become an important figure in the New Age movement thanks to his books and videos, although his quantum healing theories and suggestion that perfect health can be obtained have proved to be controversial.
Indian games have long been part of the western world, with the classic Snakes and Ladders based on an ancient board game that was called Moksha Patam and Ludo coming to the rest of the world as a simplified version of a game called Pachisi. Snooker also began life here, as British Army officers played it in their Jabalpur base before it went on to extend out over the planet.
In recent times, Andar Bahar has become popular outside of India and can be seen among the options on the Betway live casino. This simple card game asks the player to bet on Andar or Bahar and it originated in Karnataka, with a history going back more than 100 years. Also featured in the same casino is a version of roulette known as Bollywood Roulette, which has a distinctive style reflecting popular Indian decor detailed at livspace.com.
In terms of individuals who have made their mark in different areas, Priyanka Chopra won the 2000 Miss World competition and has since been named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. As well as being a highly successful TV and movie actress, Chopra has gained musical success, written her memoirs, and worked as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
The recent success of Indians as well as games and movies with an Indian background help to show that the London Indian Film Festival should be very well-received. The hybrid approach taken this year should also ensure that more people get to enjoy these movies in a way that suits them.
