South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) Opens With A Bang In New York
The 14th Annual South Asian Internation Film Festival (SAIFF) opened on Wednesday much to the delight of the Desis.
This 5-day gala (December 13th – 17th) of movies from India, Pakistan, SriLanka etc. bring in the touch of the much sought after home vibes in the heart of New York. The movies showcased are nostalgic, with some brilliant actors and directors and many are being premiered exclusively at SAIFF.
The opening night kicked off in style with the world premiere of the short film Please Don’t Call the Cops by Kartikye Gupta. The story revolves around an exemplary Indian middle-class boy who has done everything by the book – top-class engineering, a job in America, and now, an arranged marriage with a beautiful Indian girl, Maya. This foolproof NRI life is jeopardized when he suddenly receives an unexpected call that threatens to turn his life upside down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9814vojvxME
Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Long Live Brij Mohan, also having its world premiere, was the first full-length movie shown at the festival, in which the protagonist, Brij Mohan fakes his own death to escape his humdrum life. He gets the money and the girl until the inevitable hand of Karma gets him sentenced to death for his own murder!
Some of the other interesting movies to look out for at SAIFF:
In English We Say (Angrezi Mein Kehte Hein) – This Harish Vyas movie is the story of Yashwant Batra, a 54-year-old man who makes an honest attempt to win the heart of his wife Kiran. It’s about the mismatched couple who got married due to family force and about the realization that living together is not enough and expressing love is equally important.
Azad – This offbeat comedy-drama by Rehan Sheikh, set in modern-day Pakistan is about a radio jockey who calls himself AZAD, the free one, is much anticipated.
Diwal’oween – This Shilpa Mannikar movie is a comedy of errors in the battle of the Festival of Lights vs Fright Night!
Na Maloom Afraad 2 – Perhaps the most awaited one! It is a sequel the 2014 super-hit thriller but with a different story, co-written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi.
Ribbon – This closing night premiere is the highlight of SAIFF. Rakhee Sandilya brings to us the story of a young working urban couple, overwhelmed with the birth of a baby girl and find that parenthood comes with its own challenges. This film revolves around the complexities of today’s couples and how people have steadily evolved in times when technology is over-powering humans.
Check out the complete schedule of SAIFF and enjoy your weekend with some Desi movies!
