Yeh Saali Zindagi
Directed by Sudhir Mishra
India, 2011, 134 Minutes, Hindi(with English Subtitles), US Premiere
Cast- Irrfan Khan, Arunoday Singh, Chitrangda Singh, Aditi Rao, Saurabh Shukla, Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Prashant Narayanan

Arun (Irrfan Khan) has to save Priti (Chitrangda Singh) the woman he loves, but for that he first has to save the man Priti loves- Shyam, the future son in law of a powerful Minister. Meanwhile, time is running out for Kuldeep (Arunoday Singh), the young gangster who is on his last job as his wife is threatening to walk out on him completely, and he begins to suspect she is leaving him to go into the arms of another man. The job has gone haywire for it is still unknown to Kuldeep that the Ministers daughter’s engagement with Shyam is off and now she doesn’t care whether Shyam lives or dies and more importantly neither does the Minister who Kuldeep hoped would pay the ransom! Priti finds herself inextricably caught in this mess and Arun has to save her life. But for that he has to risk everything, and put his own life at stake, he wonders why he should do it at all, if she still loves another man. He’s torn, but love knows no reason. Meanwhile Shyam is trying to make deals in captivity, and his goodness only seems superficial and as Kuldeep tries desperately to save his situation, there are dons coming from Bangkok, who have their own plans.
 
Sudhir Mishra began his career in films as an Assistant Director and one of the Screenplay Writers of ‘Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’ (1983), and then of Mohan Joshi ‘Haazir Ho’ (1984). It was in 1987, that he directed his first film ‘Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin’ which went on to win the National Award for Best First Film of a Director. Since then he has directed ten more feature films, all of which, independent in thought and form, have been acclaimed both nationally as well as internationally. ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’ (2005 Filmfare Best Story Award), ‘Chameli’ (2003), ‘Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin’ (1996), ‘Dharavi’ (1992, National Award), and ‘Mai Zinda Hoon’ (1988, National Award) have all been milestones in the cinema movement in the country.


With: Cell Phone Cinema (NYU @ NYIFF)
6 minutes

Selected shorts of Indo-American Cell Phone Cinema from New York University students under the supervision of Prof. Karl Bardosh.