Along with ‘Abhinetri’ on April 1 at 7.30 pm at Playhouse Theatre, Auckland
Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 17, 2022
An Indian adaption of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and a short film demonstrating the power of women will be screened at a special event in Auckland next month.
Euphoria Entertainment is presenting the double-take programme at Playhouse Theatre, located at 15 Glendale Road, Glen Eden in Auckland at 7.30 pm on April 1, 2022.
Swastika Ganguly, a Founder-Director of the Company, said that ‘Azar,’ a film in Hindi will be a tribute not only to Shakespeare but also to the local talent.
“Azar is the first Indian Cineplay shot entirely in Auckland and the movie was a challenge to the cast and crew because of its story and settings. It will remind theatre and cinema buffs of ‘Macbeth,’ a timeless tragedy of William Shakespeare. We will also screen our award-winning short film, Abhinetri (13 mins) as a part of the evening’s programme,” she said.
About Azar
Set in the pristine and tumultuous State of Jammu and Kashmir, ‘Azar’ is the story of a couple and their rise to power through love, passion, betrayal and murder.
“Some of the characters may have the same disposition as that of the Thane of Glamis, Macduff, Malcolm and Banquo because this has been partly inspired by Macbeth and partly by the incidents along the Indian border of Kashmir almost 24 years ago. The latter provides a deep insight into the Kargil War that raged between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control from May to July 1999,” Swastika said.
The Cineplay opens with a narrator (representing Kashmir) introducing the Kargil Conflict between India and Pakistan. He recalls a story that is long forgotten but relevant to the war that left more than 1000 people dead in the Kashmir Valley.
“This is the story of unfathomable love and passion between two people and their soaring ambitions, which ultimately lead to betrayal and murder. ‘Azar’ incorporates insurgency in Kashmir in the 1990s and the Ikwan Movement supported by the Indian Army,” Swastika said.
About the Ikwan Movement
The Ikwanis were ex-militants who changed loyalties and became instruments of anti-
rebellion operations in the Kashmir valley. Azar and Basheer were extremely powerful Ikwani clan leaders and the righthand men of Abbaji, the de facto Ruler of the Poonch district of Kashmir and an important figure in the Jammu and Kashmir politics.
The Ikhwan Force, known locally as ‘Naabedth,’ was a pro-government militia in the State. It comprised Kashmiri militants. It was victorious at an operation against a military outfit.
As they were rejoicing their accomplishment, Azar and Basheer were perplexed by a prophecy of a Jinnat (Spirit) which saw Azar as ‘The Future Wazir’ (Minister) and the ultimate ‘Betaaj Badshah’ (Uncrowned Emperor).
Fuelled by his wife Yasmin’s ambition and passion, Azar takes a different path; fate takes control and he loses everything because of his greed and deed.
About Abhinetri
Abhinetri (The memoirs of an actress) is an ode to all strong women around the world – women who have survived domestic violence and abuse at some stage in their lives and have endured the pain. The film is loosely based on the life of Mrinalini Shome, a reputed theatre actress from Calcutta, and her journey from rags to riches, from slums to the high risers, to fame and stardom and eventually her heart-wrenching story of going into complete oblivion following a series of traumatic incidents that scarred her for life.
Swastika scoops Awards
Euphoria Entertainment Inc is a South Asian Performing Arts Group established in 2017 by Swastika Ganguly, Anirban Datta and Bikram Banerjee.
The trio, based in Auckland, shares the same passion for theatre and cinema. Each of them has won multiple awards and several nominations at numerous international film festivals worldwide for ‘Abhinetri,’ which is based on family violence.
Among the Awards are (1) At the Tagore International Film Festival, India: Best Actress (Swastika), Best Film and Best Women’s Film (2) Cotswold International Film Festival, England: Best Actress- Swastika (3) Virgin Spring Fest, India: Best Short Film (4) Singapore International Film Festival: Best Film for Women (4) London International Monthly Film Festival: Honourable Mention (5) Kosice International Art Film Festival, Eastern Europe –Finalist (6) Athens International Art Film Festival, Greece- Finalist (7) Sweden Film Awards Sweden- Semi-Finalist (8) Best Indie Film Awards – Semi-Finalist.
The film has also been included in the ‘Official Selections’ category at the Golden Short Film Festival, Rome, Italy; Istanbul Film Awards; Eastern Europe Film Festival; Lift-Off Sessions and Hollywood Gold Awards.
Lockdown Accomplishment
Among the staunch supporters of Euphoria are Preeta Vyas, Devdutt Paranjape, Amit Rathod, Shaival Chakravarty and Gaurav Sawant.
“In 2020, Euphoria Entertainment Inc was awarded the ‘Best Lockdown-themed Short Film for ‘Amigo 1.0’ at the Shoestring Film Challenge 2020 (New Zealand) and paved its way into the official selection at FTC Talents Online Film Awards (Bollywood Actor Suniel Shetty’s Production House) under the categories of Best Actress (Swastika) and Best Story, Screenplay (Anirban). The film also won in the ‘Best Short Film Shot in Mobile Phone’ category at the Istanbul Film Festival 2020,” Swastika said.
Swastika and Anirban won respectively the Best Actress and Best Short Film (Crime) Award for Euphoria’s first short film, ‘Belladonna’ at the Istanbul Film Awards in 2020.
