Madhuri mania in Los Angeles

Along with paying a tribute to the star, the IFFLA will also premiere the 10-minute film Mumbai Cutting, reports Udita Jhunjhunwala

As the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) gears up for its opening later this month, its programming includes two interesting inclusions. First is a tribute to actor Madhuri Dixit including the screening of her films Mrityudand and Dil To Pagal Hai. The honour will also comprise a moderated discussion with Madhuri.

Besides this, the closing film of the festival, which is fast attaining a firm reputation internationally, is Mumbai Cutting... A City Unfolds. The screening on April 27 at Arclight Hollywood shall mark the world premiere of this film, produced by White Cloud and Sahara One Pictures.

Much like last year’s Paris Je T’aime , Mumbai Cutting is a medley of 10-minute long vignettes of city life by 10 eminent directors—namely Sudhir Mishra, Anurag Kashyap, Rahul Dholakia, Ruchi Narain, Kundan Shah, Revathy, Shashank Ghosh, Jahnu Barua,
Manish Jha and  Rituparno Ghosh.

They are also expected to attend the gala premiere. Among the cast are Soha
Ali Khan, Jimmy Shergil, Ranvir Shorey and Raima Sen. 

While Kashyap’s film examines the effect of ‘Mumbai on juvenile delinquents’, Mishra explores ‘apathy in society’. Ghosh’s short film delves into the ‘life of a Mumbaite’ and refugees’ while Matrubhoomi director Manish Jha has an optimistic outlook towards Mumbai.

Shashank Ghosh’s film looks at four individuals, played by Ranvir Shorey, Shruti Sheth, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Rannvijay Singh, going through a crisis. “I found the 10-minute film tough, but my story reinterprets the concept of a concrete jungle and examines a city that runs at an unnatural pace and precipitates intensity,” said Ghosh.

On the selection of the directors, producer Niyati Shah of White Cloud said, “We selected 10 directors who have either lived in Mumbai or would have an interesting perspective on the city. Rituparno, for example, thinks of Mumbai only as Bollywood. He feels that’s what attracts people to this city. Revathy’s film, on the other hand, is about human trafficking.”

Revathy added, “My film is called Parcel, which refers to a human being considered as a parcel and stars Sonali Kulkarni and Vinay Pathak. As a visitor to Mumbai, I always notice the noise and buzz in the city, but am also shocked at how much is taken for granted and how even the biggest disaster or problem is not made into a big issue.”

While the film is likely to do the festival circuit, a general release is planned for India at the end of May/early June. Made on a budget of Rs 8 crore, the film also features music by nine music directors (Rituparno Ghosh’s film does not feature a song).

 Among the other featured films at IFFLA is the opening film Amal by Richie Mehta starring Koel Purie and Naseeruddin Shah. The other films are Liz Mermin’s documentary Shot in Bombay (juxtaposes the making of Shootout at Lokhandwala with Sanjay Dutt’s court case), Khoya Khoya Chand, Johnny Gaddaar and Loins of Punjab Presents.