An Indian film festival wouldn’t be complete without the premieres of some traditional Bollywood musicals, but the program this weekend also includes noteworthy political pieces, dramas, comedies, and romances.

An Indian film festival wouldn’t be complete without the premieres of some traditional Bollywood musicals, but the program this weekend also includes noteworthy political pieces, dramas, comedies, and romances.

The ninth annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival kicked off on Thursday in New York City, and will run through November 15. This year, the festival features 47 screenings, including 44 premieres of documentaries, feature films, and shorts.

Chosen as the festival’s centerpiece, the film Tahaan will show on Friday. This fable-like movie tells the story of eight-year-old Tahaan’s quest to bring back his pet donkey after a moneylender has taken away all his family’s assets.

On Sunday, Antaheen (The Endless Wait) will premiere as the festival’s closing night film. Presented in Bengali with English subtitles, the movie tells the story of two young lovers who kindle a relationship through the online world, and an estranged older couple who become the bridge between the two.

Other noteworthy films include Two Paise for Sunshine, Four Annas for Rain, an ode to Bollywood musicals about a love affair between a women and a gay man, The Blue Tower, a dark thriller from London that won the 2008 Raindance Award, and Lucky Ducks, a documentary about a privileged upbringing in an Upper East Side family.

Previously the MIAAC festival introduced the audience to films such as Slumdog Millionaire, The Namesake, and Monsoon Wedding.

For more information about the films, a complete schedule, or to buy tickets, visit the festival’s Web site.