Not Just Bollywood, a season of Indian films hits our screens this autumn. In 2014, The Lunchbox was the only independent Indian film released anywhere in the UK. An endearing tale of love, loneliness and the ritual of eating, it was an unlikely international success, a ‘crossover’ Indian film that suggested the consolidation of the ‘Hindie’ (Hindi + Indie) new wave.
Independent Indian cinema including New Waves in Tamil and Malayalam has flourished over the past decade, producing edgy, alternative works such as Ankhon Dekhi (2013) and Court (2014). However, many of these films have not made it onto UK cinema screens. With such energy and change in Indian film, this new season makes for essential viewing. It plugs audiences into a vibrant independent scene – and fills an until-now overlooked gap in British film programming.
Curated by Omar Ahmed, a UK-based film scholar and PhD researcher (Indian Cinema) at the University of Manchester.
This project is supported by Film Hub North West Central, proud to be a member of the BFI Film Audience Network.
