Australian Indian Film Festival
Indian film breaks away from Bollywood
Now in its sixth year, the Australian Indian Film Festival swings through Sydney this week with a colourful and eclectic program. The festival delivers a snapshot of Indian life, from the glitter of Bollywood to the complexities of love, lust and culture.
Undisputed festival highlight is a retrospective of movies by prolific filmmaker and scriptwriter Satyajit Ray. Honoured with an Oscar for lifetime achievement, Ray's 30-plus films were instrumental in putting Indian cinema on the map. Among his films screening at the festival are Apur Sansar, Devi and Ghare Baire.
Other festival picks include heart-warmer Taree Zaamen Par, which sees life through the eyes of an eight-year-old child who is sent to boarding school after asking one too many questions.
Another crowd-pleaser, Jab We Met introduces Adyita, a defeated industrialist who boards a train aimlessly in a fit of sadness. On the ride he meets Geet, a beautiful stranger on her way to Manali to elope. Their stars align, and the rest is history.
The Australian Indian Film Festival runs from Fri 29 Aug until Mon 8 Sep at Cinema Paris, Entertainment Quarter (02 9332 1633) $30 per film.