Thaindian News

New York, March 9 (IANS) The popular New York Indian Film Festival will open this year with the North American premiere of Disney’s critically acclaimed family comedy “Do Dooni Chaar” starring the legendary actor couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh.

The Habib Faisal-directed film marks the Hollywood studio’s first live-action production in India and earned some of the best reviews of any Hindi film in recent years.

The closing night selection for the 11th annual edition of the Indo-American Arts Council’s May 4-8 festival in Manhattan is Rituparno Ghosh’s “Noukadubi”, an adaptation of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s acclaimed novel, which stars sisters Riya and Raima Sen.

New York City’s prestigious Paris Theatre will host the star-studded red carpet May 4 Opening Night premiere of “Do Dooni Chaar”with special guests Kapoor, Singh, and Faisal attending.

It is a heart-warming comedy about the dreams and challenges of a middle-class family who take a chaotic journey to fulfil their dream of owning a car and discovering the true meaning of family along the way.

“Do Dooni Chaar is a charming and sweet indie film that reflects the realities of a middle-class family in modern day Delhi,” says NYIFF Director Aseem Chhabra.

“Written and directed by first time filmmaker Habib Faisal, the film is a perfect blend of authentic dialogues, characters and situations, with a touch of Bollywood charm. It is a great example of India’s new emerging cinema that has an indie soul, but working within the framework of Bollywood.”

Following the May 8 screening of Rituparno Ghosh’s “Noukadubi”will be a special tribute to Tagore who was born 150 years ago on that day.

Aparna Sen’s “Iti Mrinalini” will premiere as the Centrepiece selection. The Bengali film features Sen and her daughter, award-winning actress Konkona Sen Sharma, both playing the same title role at different ages.

“NYIFF energises New York City’s diversity by presenting amazing independent and diaspora films from the Indian subcontinent while keeping a close watch on Bollywood’s foray into alternate cinema,” said IAAC Executive Director Aroon Shivdasani.

“The three film highlights of our eleventh annual film festival represent a Hollywood studio’s Indian social cinema, independent cinema, as well as a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore.”

“Major American studios partnering with India have flirted with NYIFF in the past - Fox Searchlight, Sony, Miramax, and now Disney’s contribution to our 2011 Opening Night - ‘Do Dooni Chaar’,” said Shivdasani. “Clearly NYIFF is the best platform for these films to reach their ideal demographic market.”

Tickets for the Opening Night of the New York Indian Film Festival go on sale March 20 while tickets for all other screenings and events will be available starting April 10.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)