Bollywood stars lead line-up
BOLLyWOOD legend Shabana Azmi will reflect on 50 years in film at an event in Leicester next week.
Shabana will be In Conversation with Guardian film critic Mike McCahill at the UK Asian Film Festival Leicester at Phoenix Cinema, in Midland Street.
The festival, in its 26th year, will include screenings of two of her films – the 1983 classic satirical comedy Mandi and 2023’s love-saga Rocky aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Also appearing in person at the festival will be Supriya Pathak, widely known for her role in the Khichdi franchise.
Her new film, dark comedy Baby Crasto, will be followed by a question and answer session with the star.
The synopsis says: “Both in need of money, small-time gambler Jako and Vasu, a petty thief, cross paths in Goa.
“When they find out that Jako’s exwife Maria is on the run having been accused of stealing 5 million rupees from her cranky old landlady Baby Crasto, the two crooks smell an opportunity to get their hands on Baby’s alleged fortune and decide to register as paying guests at Crasto Villa to try their luck.”
Director Sridhar Rangayan will be discussing his new movie Kuch Sapney Apne after a first UK screening.
The drama, a sequel to the awardwinning Evening Shadows, follows the struggles of a gay couple and stars Mona Ambegaonkar, Shishir Sharma and Satvik Bhatia.
The festival has the theme Climate of Change this year. Organisers said it is about “capturing the evolving of societal norms”. The programme runs from May 9 to 12 and includes several UK premieres.
Minimum is a drama about a newly wed who travels to Belgium but is “trapped in a web of lies”.
Kamthaan is a crime comedy, while Gunjal, set in the newsroom of a failing newspaper in 1990s Pakistan, is based on the true story of child labour activist Iqbal Masih.
Documentary Brand Bollywood… Down Under looks at the globalisation of the Indian film industry from 1897 to the present day.