Mumbai: A far cry from the big budget, flamboyant, larger-than-life cinema that still calls the shots in Bollywood, several new Indie films are on their way to creating their space.
Made on shoestring budgets, they bring something to the palate, that's steadily underlining the presence of our films on the world cinema map.
Without a Khan or an item number, here are a few of those films set to release this year and their makers who show great potential.
An award-winning research scientist till a few years ago, Bedabrata Pain was busy breaking new ground in digital camera technology at NASA. With 50 patents in his field of expertise, he along with wife Shonali Bose produced the much-acclaimed, National Award winning Amu.
Film: Chittagong
Language: Hindi
Based on the 1930s uprising in Bangladesh (then part of India), Chittagong tells the story of India's first armory raid and its youngest revolutionary. The film that was supposed to release in 2010 along with Ashutosh Gowarikar's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (which was based on the same incident), was stalled for various reasons. Says Pain, "I am glad it's finally releasing and I got this time to review a lot of points which may have gone unnoticed otherwise." The film is now being released by producers Anurag Kashyap and Sunil Bohra and will hit the marquee in the second half of the year.
Kaushik Mukherkjee otherwise known as Q, can be tagged as one of India's most controversial filmmakers. A former advertising professional, he shifted trade and city to start 'Overdose', an art house production, design and music company. Film: Tasher Desh
Lanuage: Bengali
Q's next is particularly intriguing because of the kind of reactions his last feature film Gandu attracted last year. Says Q, "Tasher Desh is based on Tagore's dance-drama and we have consciously retained the original script." Q refers to the film as 'Tagore on an acid trip.' He adds, "Tasher Desh is nothing like Gandu, but retains the shock value which is essentially the essence of everything we do."
Sudhish Kamath made his first feature film That Four Letter Word twice. Unfortunately not many people watched the film. The journalist-turned-filmmaker however is more hopeful about his next, which essentially portrays an 80-minute phone call between two people.
Film: Good Night Good Morning
Language: English
The film that has already wowed the festival crowds at Transylvania and Noordeljik festivals is set on a cold New Year's night in New York and was premiered at MAMI, 2010. Says Sudhish, "It is a phone call between a guy and a girl and travels between eight stages of a relationship in that one night. It may seem impossible in such a short span, but that's where we find out how love and its complications work through our mind." The movie is set to release later this month.
From a career in TV to winning various international awards for his first short film Right Here Right Now, it has been a tough yet compelling journey for Anand Gandhi, once the dialogue writer for popular soaps like Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki.
Film: The Ship of Thesus
Language: English/Hindi
The film, which has been listed by Forbes India as one of the top 2012 films integrates the stories of a monk, a photographer and a stock broker and talks of each of their ethical and philosophical dilemmas. Says Gandhi, "I think if Buddha was alive, he would be sharing his ideas through the medium of film." The film is one of the top three contenders at the competition section in Cannes.
Apart from these films, director Ashim Ahluwalia's Miss Lovely based on Mumbai's C-grade film industry is generating a lot of curiosity within the industry. His first feature film John and Jane won the National Award in 2007.
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