Director's Bio:

Mahesh Dattani started his theatre career as an actor and director. He wrote his first play in 1985.
Hailed as 'one of India's best and most serious contemporary playwrights writing in English' (Alexandra Viets - International Herald Tribune) and 'a playwright of world stature' (Marlo Relich- Wasafiri) by the international press, Mahesh Dattani was commissioned by the BBC to write plays for BBC radio.
Mahesh Dattani's important screenplay credits include 'hum Tum aur Woh', 'Ek Alag Mausam', 'Mango Souffle'. Important awards include the Sahitya Academy Award for his collection of plays titled Final Solutions and other Plays and the Lamda award (Barcelona) for best motion picture 'Mango Souffle' in 2002. Mahesh Dattani's first feature film as a director 'Mango Souffle' in 2002 is an adaptation of his play 'On A Muggy Night' in Mumbai.
Mahesh Dattani continues to conduct workshops in his studio in Bangalore. He is Chairman of the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography, and a trustee of several charitable organizations. He is also the artistic director and founder of 'Playpen', a performing arts group in Bangalore, India.

Film Synopsis:

People from a small village in South India are on a bus journey to the city filled with varied aspirations oblivious to the tragedy that is about to befall upon them. An accident on the bridge, connecting the village with the city, leaves many villagers coping with the loss of their loved ones.

Swarnalatha (Shabana Azmi) was a talented singer with a burning ambition to perform in the city. She lost her child and her best friend in the accident that fateful morning. She believes that she is cursed and holds herself responsible for the tragedy. She now spends her time in a self-imposed exile never daring to cross the bridge to the city ever.
Abhinay (Prakash Rao) who lost his mother in the accident was a little boy when the tragedy struck his life. Not satisfied with his job as an advertising jingle composer, he sets out to start a music band.
Priyanka (Pinkie - Perizaad Zorabian) a young urban girl finds herself drawn to the same village as she is also affected by the tragedy and discovers an unfortunate truth about the accident.

Abhinay and Pinkie start a music band but soon realize that something is missing in their music. Abhinay realizes that he must have Swarnalatha sing to accomplish his music. But Swarnalatha who holds herself and her desires responsible for the tragedy is afraid to help the band realize their dreams.

Can the three of them succeed in overcoming their past and fulfill their dreams?

Morning Raga is about the meeting of worlds. It is a story that brings the modern and traditional together, unites the past with the present, Carnatic Music with Western music, fate and coincidence with individual choices. It is a story of our times.

  
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