Its international trajectory is now well-established from its world premiere screening in May in Cannes and then its arrival on Mumbai’s shores… we look back… and among the shows that premiered there Despatch is now available on Indian international digital streaming service, Zee 5…
By Tatiana Rosenstein
IT WASN’T just all about Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ triumphant homecoming at the Mami Mumbai Film Festival this year.
The Cannes Grand Prix winning production was the Opening Film of the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mami in short) and the centrepiece of a festival looking to overcome the challenges of losing its principle sponsor in mobile behemoth, Jio.
By the end of the six-day film extravaganza – the what sponsor question was entirely redundant, as Mami ended with appearances from Bollywood icons Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan and indie film legend Shabana Azmi.
And there was much to savour besides Kapadia’s homecoming in ‘All We Imagine as Light’; the film is something of a love letter to the city itself and much of it is shot there and in addition, it is Payal’s home – and a city she is proud to call so.
“Everywhere in the world, I was asked what’s it like to live in Mumbai. Here, at this festival, I don’t need to explain,” she told prominent film critic Anupama Chopra on that first night at the art deco Regal Cinema in Colaba.
The opening night was followed by a glam after screening party at Soho House Mumbai – which also served as a hub for panel festival discussions and Mami masterclasses.
Among these talk sessions – the groundbreaking debut feature, ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ took centre stage – and is another film that has captured hearts outside of India before premiering in India at Mami.
Writer-director Shuchi Gulati led a talk about gender and sexuality in cinema – her film is about young first love and a boarding school female teenager who finds her mother (played by Kani Kusruti who is also the lead in ‘All We Imagine as Light’) taking more than a casual interest in her first boyfriend. It won an audience award at Sundance Film Festival in the US at the beginning of the year.
and his Mami Golden Gateway Award
Mami’s major Golden Getaway award went to Amit Dutta’s ‘Rhythm of a Flower’, a beautifully animated film about Indian classical singer, Kumar Gandharva. The film portrays his final years, bedridden with tuberculosis, and explores his life through childhood memories, teaching, and the ever-changing world of music around him. Created in gentle watercolours, ‘Rhythm of a Flower’ mesmerised the audience with its delicate portrayal of the artist’s world, blending history, personal struggle, and musical devotion. Dutta’s work was a standout in the festival, receiving widespread acclaim for its evocative storytelling.
Elsewhere, Kanu Behl who www.asianculturevulture.com last spoke to in Cannes about ‘Agra’ was at Mami premiering his latest film, ‘Despatch’ – a hard-hitting narrative exploring ethnical dilemmas of a journalist and starring well known actor Manoj Bajpayee. (We have an interview feature with Behl coming shortly to acv).
Suman Ghosh’s ‘The Ancient’, starring iconic Sharmila Tagore, had its grand premiere, attended by the entire Pataudi family, including her son Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan. A poignant exploration of aging, family, and legacy, the film was praised for its warmth and sensitivity.
Raam Reddy’s ‘The Fable’, set in 1989 on a lush Himalayan orchard in northeastern India, had its premiere with the lead cast, Bajpayee and Tillotama Shome, winning the Special Jury Award at Mami. The film tells the story of a family living in a once-colonial estate, where a mysterious burnt apple blossom tree sparks suspicion and fear. Raam Reddy said: “I wanted to make a magical film,” reflecting on his deeply personal connection to Mami, which he credits for his filmmaking career.
Filmmaker Rima Das offered festivalgoers a glimpse of her latest offering, ‘Village Rockstars 2’ – a continuation of the story of a young girl in India’s north-east wanting to learn the guitar and now navigating the passage from girl to woman – the film premiered at Busan (see our report and extended coverage of the film – we also have an interview with Das – pending).
Anthology film and Indo-Australian collaboration ‘My Melbourne’ premiered as part of Mami’s initiative to foster international co-productions. The project featured filmmakers like Kabir Khan, Rima Das, Imtiay Ali, and Onir, exploring themes like race, gender, and disability through this Indo-Australian collaboration.
Industry stalwarts Twinkle Khanna and Dimple Kapadia collaboration ‘Go Noni Go’ premiered to great acclaim. The romantic comedy, based on a story by Khanna, tackled middle-aged women’s narratives with warmth and humour, a refreshing shift in Indian cinema’s storytelling.
There was also a tribute to the late Kumar Shahani with a screening of ‘Tarang’ and Azmi was presented with the Excellence in Cinema Award – recognising her long career and work with great directors such as Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani.
The festival also paid tribute to Sudhir Nandgaonkar, a founding member of Mami and a pioneer of the film society movement in Maharashtra. His legacy has shaped generations of cinephiles, and Mami’s commitment to cinema owes much to his vision. Nandgaonkar passed away in 2023, and his contributions to Indian cinema were honoured with deep respect at the festival.
There was a strong international content showing with Sean Baker’s top Cannes Palme d’Or winning award being the Closing Film, and there were outings for Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Room Next Door’, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘Cloud’, Coralie Fargeat’s ‘Substance’ and Jacques Audiard’s ‘Emilia Perez’.
The festival screened over 110 films from more than 45 countries and its offerings spanned more than 50 different languages and held between October 19-24.
