Bhasmasur is based on a simple idea and manages to pack in a lot. The duration is just 75 minutes – not too short and not too long either. It tells a story of a poverty-stricken family in rural Rajasthan who are compelled to sell their beloved donkey to pay off their dues. It can be categorized as a ‘road trip’ film but the journey has a lot of ups and downs, not just outside but inside as well. Despite the short length, the film seems a bit stretched and a few developments in the middle seem slightly difficult to digest. But nevertheless, it manages to put forward its point well. Imran Rasheed, whose performance in the short film ‘Haircut’ is unforgettable, does an equally good job here. Here’s a very talented actor who deserves to be seen a lot. Mittal Chouhan as the kid Tipu is adorable and is quite a talent. Trimala Adhikari leaves a mark in a small role. This actress, who played Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife in Haraamkhor, has not just acted but is also the film’s casting director, one of the costume designers and also one of the production designers. Krishna Purohit's music gives the film a nice touch. Shirish Tomar and Sambeet Kumar Mishra's cinematography is stunning and captures the arid landscape nicely. Nishil Sheth’s direction is apt. After making a round of several film festivals, Bhasmasur is now available on Netflix. Do give it a try!

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

Ask The Sexpert, Ribbon among Indian projects to be screened at the Indie Meme Film Festival
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 3, 2018)

Two Indian films set in small-towns — Nishil Seth’s Bhasmasur, about a 10-year-old boy and his debt-ridden father, and Puloma Pal’s Turup, that tackles issues of class, caste, gender, religious identity and patriarchal attitudes — are US-bound. The films will have their American premieres at the third Indie Meme Film Festival in Austin from April 19 to 22.

The fest’s US-based founders Tripti Bhatnagar and Alka Bhanot say their mission is to promote socially relevant independent cinema from South Asia. This edition will have a line-up of films, documentaries and shorts from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Iran. “The fest is more of a movement as we have year-round screenings in Dallas and Austin of films that address issues like child abuse, sex trafficking, organ trade, disabled athletes and acid attacks, among others,” Tripti informs.

This year, some of the highlights include Tibetan filmmaker Tian Tsering’s Barley Fields On The Other Side Of The Mountain, which follows a teenage girl who must choose between family and a journey to freedom, and Vaishali Sinha’s Ask The Sexpert, a documentary on Dr Mahinder Watsa, Mirror’s popular 93-year-old columnist. While Tian and Vaishali will interact with fest attendees in person, Rakhee Sandilya, whose Kalki Koechlin and Sumeet Vyas-starrer Ribbon is also up for a screening, will be present through Skype. “Also present will be acclaimed Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker Arshad Khan, whose autobiographical docu-feature, Abu, delves into the challenges of growing up as a gay man in Pakistan, where homosexuals are regarded as deviants and a dishonour to the family,” Tripti adds.

Other Indian films at the festival include the 2017 Malayalam crime-drama, Angamaly Diaries, a free-for-all screening of the Naseeruddin Shah-starrer Gujarati drama, Dhh, premiere of Punjabi drugs-drama Taala Te Kunji, coming-of-age Marathi drama Chumbak, which is the festival’s closing film, with filmmaker Sandeep Modi and his team in attendance, and Jackie Shroff, Neena Gupta-starrer, Khujli.


Dr Mahinder Watsa in Ask The Sexpert; Naseeruddin Shah in Dhh