Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival—'Dilli Dark,' Agra' among main competitors
Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, organized by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image and directed/spearheaded by Anupama Chopra, is reportedly the biggest film festival in South Asia. This year, it will be organized between October 27 and November 5, during which 250 films will be screened, 40 of which will be world premieres. This year, these titles will be contesting in the main competition.
'Against the Tide' and 'Agra'
Against the Tide, helmed by Sarvnik Kaur and filmed in Marathi, Hindi, and Koli, will have its South Asia Premiere at the festival. It's a documentary about the friendship between two fishermen from Mumbai's Koli community. Kanu Behl's Agra, which received rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, will also have its South Asia premiere at MAMI.
'Bahadur—The Brave' and 'Barir Naam Shahana'
Diwa Shah's Bahadur—The Brave is gearing up for its Asia premiere and is originally available in Hindi and Nepali. Set in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown period, it sheds light on Hansi, the protagonist, who has to earn money for his ailing son amid this crisis. Additionally, Leesa Gazi's Barir Naam Shahana (A House Named Shahana) will mark its world debut.
'Dilli Dark' and 'Guras'
Dibakar Das Roy's Dilli Dark, available in Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Pidgin English, and Yoruba (a language primarily spoken in West Africa), will have its world premiere at the upcoming festival. Another title is Saurav Rai's Guras, a story about a nine-year-old's adventures in Darjeeling as she searches for her pet dog, which will have its South Asia premiere. Its original language is Nepali.
'Kayo Kayo Colour?' and 'Mithya'
The festival will be a platform for the Asia premiere of the Gujarati-Hindi language film Kayo Kayo Colour? (Which Colour?) by Shahrukhkhan Chavada. It is set in Ahmedabad and is reportedly shot in monochrome. Sumanth Bhat's Mithya, which is preparing for its world premiere, has also set its eyes on the award. It was filmed in Kannada and Marathi.
'Rimdogittanga,' 'Shivamma,' 'Sthal'
Dominic Sangma's Rimdogittanga is a Garo-language film that deals with a child who lives his life in fear and anxiety as he suffers from night blindness. Jaishankar Aryar's Shivamma, originally in Kannada, will have its South Asia premiere. It previously won an award at the Busan International Film Festival. Jayant Somalkar's Marathi drama Sthal (A Match) will have its Asia premiere.
'Thadavu,' 'The Monk and the Gun,' 'The Red Suitcase'
Other films slated to be screened and compete in the film festival are Fazil Razak's Thadavu (Malayalam), Pawo Choyning Dorji's The Monk and the Gun (Dzongkha, English), and Fidel Devkota's The Red Suitcase (Nepali). While Thadavu (The Sentence) will have its world premiere, The Monk and the Gun is ready for its India debut, and The Red Suitcase is looking at its Asia premiere.
