15th Annual NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL May 4 - 9, 2015
CENTERPIECE
CENTERPIECE
Thursday, May 7, 6:15pm. Theatre 2,
Village East Cinema, 2nd Ave @ 12th street, NYC. -- SOLD OUT
Saari Raat - U.S. Premiere Directed by Aparna Sen
India 2015, 82 minutes, Hindi (w/English subtitles)
Cast: Anjan Dutt, Rittwik Chakraborty, Konkona Sensharma
There will be a post-screening discussion with Director Aparna Sen.
Synopsis: A couple on vacation gets caught in a storm and seeks refuge in a stranger’s house. Through the long night they face issues past and present, after which nothing can ever be the same. The film is Director Aparna Sen’s tribute to legendary Bengali playwright and theatre personality Badal Sircar.
The film SAARI RAAT is a part of ZEE's Peace Project which aims to bring together film makers, cultural exponents and thought leaders of both the neighboring nations of India and Pakistan on a single platform to facilitate an apolitical exchange environment of peace and harmony. This initiative is in line with Zee Entertainment's corporate brand philosophy of 'VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM' which means 'THE WORLD IS MY FAMILY.'
About the Director: Aparna Sen was born into a family of film lovers.Aparna made her debut as an actress in 1961 while she was still in school, in Satyajit Ray's Two Daughters. Aparna made 36 Chowringhee Lane, her first directorial venture, which she wrote herself, in 1981. It won the Grand Prix (The Golden Eagle) at the Manila International Film Festival in 1982 while the Kodak award for Cinematography went to Ashok Mehta for his photography in that film at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1983. Aparna received the National Award for Best Direction and Ashok Mehta the National Award for Best Cinematographer in India for the same film. A prolific filmmaker, Aparna continues to write and direct her films in Calcutta and occasionally acts in films as well.
Trailer:Saari Raat
and
Zor (The Fever) (short) Directed by Sarat Talluri Rao,
India 2014, 20 minutes, (w/ English subtitles)
Cast - Rajesh Sarnaik, Vinay Kamat, Priyanka Naik, Adip Bhat, Sai Palondicar, Amit Kamat, Shyam Pagi, Rohidas Goemka
Synopsis: Somoni Dessai, a shopkeeper in a tiny Goan village is not in very good health. He consults the local doctor, who diagnoses that Somoni is fine, but that his shadow has a fever. Somoni is dazed and confused. He does not mention the shadow's predicament to his wife Parvati, but lies to her that he has a fever. They are not on the best terms and sleep in separate rooms. Somoni is obsessed with his illness and later confesses about the shadow's fever to his wife. She, at first, ridicules him and the doctor, but later seems to be convinced after Somoni remains cocooned in his predicament. A series of remedies, like local herbs, the village shaman, a repeat visit to the doctor, follows, but to no avail. Finally, the two discuss Somoni's problem. The frankness and communication dissipate the tension between them. That night Parvati enters the bedroom in which Somoni is preparing to go to bed. Somoni is pleasantly surprised and takes Parvati in his arms. The two have made up and the fever is forgotten.
About the Director: Sarat Rao is a writer and director. A Masters in Quantitative Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta he began his work in films as a research intern on 'Sacred Numbers' a film by Dev Benegal on the life of the Indian mathematician Ramanujan. He has co-written the story for the feature film 'Oonga' (2013) which premiered at NYIFF 2013. He wrote and directed a short feature- 'The Fever' (2014) about a man whose shadow has fever. He has completed his new documentary 'Furiously Curious' filmed over several years on the phenomenon of quiz shows in India where he followed trivia-junkies across the country. "Dead, End" is his first feature credit as a co-writer with director Dev Benegal. The project won top prizes at HAF 2014, Hong Kong and NAFF 2014, South Korea.
About the Director: Sarat Rao is a writer and director. A Masters in Quantitative Economics from the Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta he began his work in films as a research intern on 'Sacred Numbers' a film by Dev Benegal on the life of the Indian mathematician Ramanujan. He has co-written the story for the feature film 'Oonga' (2013) which premiered at NYIFF 2013. He wrote and directed a short feature- 'The Fever' (2014) about a man whose shadow has fever. He has completed his new documentary 'Furiously Curious' filmed over several years on the phenomenon of quiz shows in India where he followed trivia-junkies across the country. "Dead, End" is his first feature credit as a co-writer with director Dev Benegal. The project won top prizes at HAF 2014, Hong Kong and NAFF 2014, South Korea.