If you’re an ardent follower of Indie films like me then this may be of interest to you. But, even if you’re not I still believe this can be of some interest to you or your friends or their friends.
God bless indie filmmakers, we’ve had some satisfying mix of indie films this year. Bigger thanks to PVR Rare for taking the effort in bringing these films to our viewing.
I still haven’t watched every indie film released this year however I’m immensely elated with the films I managed to watch. There was a good blend of films from all kinds of directors across different genres. Some of the best were Kshay, Good Night/Good Morning, Love, wrinkle-free, Supermen of Malegaon, Shuttlecock Boys and Delhi in a Day.
Soon to follow this list, hopefully, will be ‘Pairon Talle’ a Hindi drama-thriller by Sidharth Srinivasan, releasing on Oct 5 via PVR Rare.
Written and directed by Sidharth Srinivasan, the film closely follows the story of a loyal watchman, who is so devoted to protecting his master’s property, that he has lost the very ability to safeguard himself. When realization of his enslavement finally dawns on him, it does so at a bloody price. Will the watchman take destiny into his own hands or will justice be denied him forever.
Coming to the credentials the film has garnered, let me emphasize that no film, be it indie or regular, won’t qualify for some appreciation or award if it’s not worth it.
‘Pairon Talle’ has been screen at the following film festivals –
1. Toronto International Film Festival
2. International Film Festival Rotterdam (Recipient of HUBERT BALS FUND AWARD)
3. Gasparilla International Film Festival
4. Scottsdale International Film Festival
5. Minneapolis – St. Paul International Film Festival
6. Santa Barbara International Film Festival
7. World Cinema Festival Amsterdam
8. Museum of Modern Art New York
Here’s what some critics had to say about the film –
World Premiere, Toronto International Film Festival 2010
And yet, as structured and disciplined as it is, Soul of Sand is also a sharp cry for social change… Clearly schooled in the best of world cinema – he has cited filmmakers from Bunuel to Oshima to Tobe Hooper as influences – this young auteur has found a way to make films in India that feel urgent, relevant, artful and new”.
Cameron Bailey, Co-Director Toronto International Film Festival
Link: http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/soulofsand
Forbes India Magazine: 10 Movies to Look Forward to in 2011
“Pairon Talle is a savage stab at the ‘Shining India’ myth. The Shining Indiawallahs, who live in bungalows and own acres around Gurgaon, are also those who unhesitatingly chop their daughter’s boyfriend into shreds because he belongs to the wrong caste. Told from the viewpoint of a watchman of an abandoned silica mine, it foretells the bloodbath that must ensue when India’s underclass finally rebels. Compellingly shot by S. Nalla Muthu on HD, the film draws powerful performances from Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Saba Joshi. It was at the Toronto Film Festival”.
Meenakshi Shedde, India Consultant to the Berlin, Locarno and Dubai Film Festivals, and a curator to several international film festivals, tells us about some good movies to look forward to in the New Year.
Link: http://business.in.com/article/special/10-movies-to-look-forward-to-in 2011/20532/1#ixzz1eK0b5OH7
European Premiere, International Film Festival Rotterdam 2011
“A very Indian film in very Indian surroundings, yet not a very Indian film… Srinivasan sharply reveals how different social classes are related and how tragic forced marriages can turn out. This timeless story, rooted in the age old Indian caste system, has been filmed in a modern way, in a direct, frank style that looks more western than Indian”
Link: http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/films/pairon-talle/
US Premiere, MoMA New York City
“A watchman and his wife living at an abandoned mine are exploited by their alternately unctuous and brutal landlord. Set in an out-of-the-way corner of the National Capital Region—a prized area of urban growth and development in “emerging” India—director Srinivasan’s scathing portrait of the politics of caste and money subverts the usual Bollywood melodrama formula with just a trace of the absurd”.
Link: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/11271
The least you could do is support this film by watching when it comes to theatres. Please ensure you recommend this film to at least three of your friends and ask them to do the same to three of their friends, and so and so forth.
