Showing posts with label Leeches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leeches. Show all posts
Abhay Deol turns distributor, acquires 3 festival favourites which he will release online
7:51 AM
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2016)
After turning producer with
his 2014 romcom One By Two, Abhay Deol is now foraying into
distribution. His banner, Abhay Deol Presents, will now release
independent films online. The 40-year-old
actor has acquired three films from the ongoing National Film
Development Corporation of India (NFDC) Film Bazaar in Goa - Aditya
Vikram Sengupta's Venice Film Festival and National Award-winning Labour
Of Love,
Payal Sethi's Leeches, a UN Women Selection, and Brahmanand Singh's
documentary on Jagjit Singh, Kaagaz Ki Kashti. The films will go
straight from festival screening to a digital release.
“I was blown away by Aditya's sensibilities and his ability to spin a
story without any spoken dialogues. Payal's Leeches has beautifully
woven a compelling story around an issue that is anathema to our social
fibre and well-being. Kaagaz Ki Kashti succeeds in powerfully bringing a
legend back to life. I want to ensure that audiences across the world get
to watch these films,“ Abhay told Mirror.
He went on to inform that he had decided to distribute indie films because they are for a niche audience and he can explore opportunities in an emerging market like the digital platform. “The number of single screens is diminishing and smaller films don't get a release along side the biggies and sales is restricted too. The economics to engage in theatrical releases don't make sense because even the minimum P&A (Promotion and Advertising) budgets required to secure a decent release adds unhealthy weight on a small film. What we need now is to adopt alternate avenues of distribution,“ he asserted.
Will he market big-budget commercial films as well? “Mainstream films don't need this kind of a push. What can I add there?“ he argued. What about acting in indie films? “I'm taking one step at a time. I'm already an actor and would like to balance mainstream and niche cinema.“
On the subject of piracy he maintained that it stems primarily from unavailability of content on legitimate digital platforms. “If your film is made available at the right time, I believe the audiences would pay and watch it on a platform legally. Moreover, monetisation through digital distribution is increasingly resulting in a positive return on investment. Licensing platforms are offering fair payouts and paving the way for audiences around the world to watch and appreciate South-Asian content,“ said Abhay who was to attend the Film Bazaar in Goa but had to cancel his plans after he fell ill.
He went on to inform that he had decided to distribute indie films because they are for a niche audience and he can explore opportunities in an emerging market like the digital platform. “The number of single screens is diminishing and smaller films don't get a release along side the biggies and sales is restricted too. The economics to engage in theatrical releases don't make sense because even the minimum P&A (Promotion and Advertising) budgets required to secure a decent release adds unhealthy weight on a small film. What we need now is to adopt alternate avenues of distribution,“ he asserted.
Will he market big-budget commercial films as well? “Mainstream films don't need this kind of a push. What can I add there?“ he argued. What about acting in indie films? “I'm taking one step at a time. I'm already an actor and would like to balance mainstream and niche cinema.“
On the subject of piracy he maintained that it stems primarily from unavailability of content on legitimate digital platforms. “If your film is made available at the right time, I believe the audiences would pay and watch it on a platform legally. Moreover, monetisation through digital distribution is increasingly resulting in a positive return on investment. Licensing platforms are offering fair payouts and paving the way for audiences around the world to watch and appreciate South-Asian content,“ said Abhay who was to attend the Film Bazaar in Goa but had to cancel his plans after he fell ill.
Sayani Gupta steps out of the burqa to bag an award
7:37 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 13, 2016)
After winning raves for Anurag Kashyap's sister Anubhuti's short film, Call Waiting, Sayani Gupta has now won the Best Actress - Honourable Mention at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) for another short, Payal Sethi's Leeches.
"I play a teenager, Raisa, trying to save her younger sister from being sold off to a rich businessman in a fake marriage. When Raisa tells her boyfriend she's ready to take her sister's place, he points out that isn't possible because she isn't a virgin anymore. Desperate to save her sibling, she uses leeches to regain her virginity," says Margarita, with a Straw's Khanun.
The film is set in Hyderabad in a poor Muslim community and Sayani recalls that she had draped her dupatta around herself when she had gone to audition for the role at Guneet Monga's office. "As soon as Payal saw me, she was convinced I'd pull off the part. Raisa is a strong girl who had the courage to fight against all odds. As part of my prep, I worked really hard on my Hyderabadi accent," she informs, adding that the 30-minute short was filmed over 12 days during which she literally lived in a burqa.
Sayani shared her IFFLA award with co-star Preeti Golacha, who plays her younger sister. Leena Yadav's Parched, which she is also a part, of bagged the award for the Best Feature under the Audience Choice Awards. She will also be seen in Nitya Mehra's Baar Baar Dekho next, alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif, and in Anurag Basu's Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer Jagga Jasoos. "I am hoping that I will soon be called to shoot my remaining portions for Jagga Jasoos. We have wrapped up Baar Baar Dekho, in which I play Sid and Kat's friend. Both are really sweet and lovely to work with," she smiles.
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