Movie enthusiasts can expect a week of excitement and fun as one of the most successful film festivals returns to Auckland next month.
‘Bollywood and Beyond 2012’ will feature a number of films in Hindi, with added bonus of movies from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Organised by the Melbourne (and Auckland) based Mind Blowing Films Limited, which has a record of film festivals in the past, the forthcoming programme will also include a Malayalam film segment.
This year’s film festival will be held at Hoyts Cinemas in Sylvia Park from August 2 to August 8.
Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said that the forthcoming Festival, third in an annual series would be a cinematic feast with an array of features and documentaries.
“As well as the commercial blockbusters of the Hindi cinema, ‘Bollywood and Beyond 2012’ will include the award-winning ‘Saving Face.’ Directed by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and Daniel Junge, this documentary is about acid attacks on women in Pakistan. The film won an Oscar in this year’s Academy Awards, the first for Pakistan,” she said.
Among the other ‘greats’ coming up at the Festival are ‘Beauty and Brains,’ a documentary on Nepal’s ‘third-gender’ people and the country’s acceptance of their equal rights, ‘Meherjaan,’ a Bangladeshi film about one woman’s perspective of the country’s battle for freedom in 1971.
Mrs Bhowmick-Lange said ‘Urumi’ is the second-most expensive film from the Malayalam movie industry.
“Starring Prithviraj and Genelia D’Souza, the film is about a warrior who leads a dangerous mission to assassinate Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, following his controversial visits to India. Vidya Balan does a cameo role,” she said.
A number of other highly successful Bollywood feature films including ‘Kahaani,’ ‘Don 2’ and ‘Bodyguard’ will also be a part of the film festival.
Director Ribhu Dasgupta’s ‘Michael’ features Naseeruddin Shah, Purav Bhandare and Mahie Gill.
“When Naseeruddin Shah read the script, he agreed to perform the role of a Kolkata police officer who pushed to the edge of hell by a corrupt politician. Inspired by the Cat Steven’s song ‘Father and Son’, this thriller follows Michael, who tries to cope with his dishonourable discharge from the police force and denied pension,” Mrs Bhowmick-Lange said.
