Upcoming Marathi film ‘Vaalvi’ has won the best fiction feature film award at the 13th Chicago South Asian Film Festival. Helmed by Paresh Mokashi, ‘Vaalvi’ will soon release in theatres on India.
‘Vaalvi’ is a comedy thriller film directed by Paresh Mokashi who has also written the story alongside Madhugandha Kulkarni. The film is a dark comedy that explores the profound human nature involving selfishness, apathy and self preservation. Kulkarni has also produced ’Vaalvi’ in association with Zee Studios.
In addition to ‘Vaalvi’, Ajayan Venugopalan debutant feature film ‘Shiv Shastri Balboa’ secured the runner-up position in the fiction feature film cateogory. Starring Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Jugal Hansraj, Sharib Hashmi and Nargis Fakri among others, ‘Shiv Shastri Balboa’ is a comedy that discusses cultural stigma, undocumented immigration, and racism and how a man’s passion for cinema can overcome it all.
‘Shiv Shastri Balboa’ follows the story of Shiv Shastri, a retiree, a widower from India, and a big Rocky movie fan who moves to the USA to be with his only son. Stuck in a large house alone with a dog, he is forced to befriend him and makes an unlikely bond with an undocumented housekeeper named Elsa. Though they belong to different economic and social strata, these two lonely souls end up on an unexpected road trip through the American heartland which teaches that it’s never too old to reinvent yourself.
Winners in other categories at the 13th Chicago South Asian Film Festival are:
Fiction Short Film: ‘Running’
Director: Arpita Mukherjee
Synopsis: ‘Running’ follows Danny as he sets out to uncover the story of his estranged father. Piecing together mementos, stories from his dad’s old friends, and hard conversations with his mother, Pudi starts on a mission to solve the puzzle of his father and finds himself instead on a complex, funny, and vulnerable journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
Documentary Feature Film: ‘Kekee Manzil: House of Art’
Director & producer: Behroze Gandhy
Synopsis: Kekoo Gandhy, cast adrift from his studies at Cambridge by the war, was sitting on Juhu beach in 1941 wondering what to do with his life. He saw a man in a car stuck in the sand and decided to help. Thus began a journey that revolutionised not only his own life but the artistic heritage of the city of Bombay.
Documentary Short Film: ‘Crossroads’
Director & Writer: Sarita Khurana
Synopsis: ‘Crossroads’ looks at the FedEx mass shooting in Indianapolis that took place in April 2021, where the majority of workers and victims were from the Sikh community. It is the story of a community responding to an act of violence, and their right to be safe and treated equally, as Sikhs living in America.