DRAWING WITH CHALK OPENS MARCH 25 - FEATURES INDIAN ACTORS

The new indie film DRAWING WITH CHALK which opens at one of New York's top arthouses, the QUAD Cinema on West 13th Street features emerging actress Pooja Kumar, former Miss India USA, as JASMIN, the wife of an middle age rock musician JAY. More than a mid-life American coming-of-age story DRAWING WITH CHALK explores issues of inter-marriage and second generation assimilation of the Indian community but is ultimately a story about class.

Two best friends, JAY and MATT, approaching forty have moved back to their upstate New York home town for a final run at a music career which derailed five years earlier in New York City. But five years ago, Jay and Jasmin were not married with a child. Now in sight of 40, the friends are facing the harsh fact that making music isn’t making a living. Though Jasmin is loyal and loves Jay's music, when her Parents, Dr. And Mrs. Jeyadoss (Kapil Bawa and Susham Bedi) and brother (played by Debargo Sanyal) invite them to their home outside of Washington, DC -- small cracks open wide and this late-bloomer story takes on Global dimensions.

Two views of how to approach the American Dream collide: if you work hard and/or long enough, feels Jay, success by some measure will be yours, on the other hand Jay and his musical dreams are up against the realities of the emerging powerhouses of a competitive world, here embodied in JASMIN’s daunting family of high achievers emigrated from India.

Behind the camera, in real life, both writers/producers who also play the main roles, Todd Giglio as JAY and Christopher Springer as MATT are brother’s-in-law and best friends. They have also both married two Indian sisters and have young children. The story feels so close to reality that the filmmakers are often asked, is this your story? "The conflict of going for your dreams, the issues we face, the fact that Chris and I have been close friends for such a long time during this struggle is the same", says Giglio "but the characters are definitely not. Despite the hardships at the attempt of achieving my ‘American Dream’ my wife has stood by me and is much more supportive of my creative life."

Indeed, DRAWING FOR CHALK is proof that this talented group of actors and filmmakers have made their dreams come true.