The 2015 edition of National Film Development Corporation of India's Film Bazaar in Goa presented some fascinating works from all over the country.
Konkana Sen Sharma in a still from Lipstick Under My Burkha
The movies and documentaries, some of them curated by the Film Bazaar team, make for an interesting array of different stories and sensibilities. It was at the Film Bazaar that films like 'The Lunchbox' (2013) and 'Titli', which released last month, were showcased before they made rounds of the festival circuit and bagged awards. hitlist mentions a few promising works that caught our eye this year:
'Burqa Boxers'
Written, directed and produced by Alka Raghuraman, this Hindi-Bengali documentary is about three young women from Kolkata who fight society and stereotypes to learn boxing.
'Chidiya'
Directed by Mehran Amrohi, the Hindi fiction film highlights the aspect of child labour; it focusses on two kids forced to work as spot boys on a film set, when all they want to do is play badminton.
'Cinemawala'
A Bengali feature film directed by Kaushik Ganguly which explores the relationship between a father and son, who have both chosen films as their passion.
'Ghoomketu'
Written and directed by Pushpendra Mehra with Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role, the film is about the hope and disappointments of an aspiring writer who flees his hometown to prove himself as a film writer.
'Mantra'
An urban tale inspired by the India of early 90s when the country's economy opened up to the world. The film talks about the repercussions of a desi company bought out by a multinational brand. The film stars known names like Rajat Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin and Adil Hussain.
'G-A Wanton Heart'
A film in Haryanvi and Hindi, written and directed by Rahul Dahiya. It boldly talks about the taboos of love and lust as the protagonists get caught in the web.
'Haaduk'
Helmed by Jaicheng Jai Dohutta, this film is set in the 90s when extremist groups had a stronghold on Assam. It's about a woman called Heramoni missing her son Mukti, who's joined an insurgent group. The film is in Assamese, Moran and English languages.
''I' Pad'
This Hindi film has an interesting storyline of the male protagonist wanting to start a business of producing sanitary pads. Even as the society is eager to dub him as a pervert, Natraj is sure that he can strike gold. It is written and directed by Amit Rai.
'Lyari Notes'
A story of liberation that talks of a rock star in Pakistan who teaches a group of girls to express themselves freely through music; written and directed by Miriam Chandy Manachery and Maheen Zia.
'Lipstick Under My Burkha'
This Hindi film chronicles the lives of four women who end up doing things secretly to attain more freedom than they are allowed. Starring Konkana Sen Sharma in a pivotal role, the film is written and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava.
'Nila'
A contemporary Tamil film about unrequited love and unexplored desires, this one is centered on a love rekindled between a young man and his childhood sweetheart. It is written and directed by Selvamani Selviraj.
'Raghu Rai: An Unframed Portrait'
The famed photographer has his life chronicled in a documentary by his daughter, Avani Rai. This is produced by Anurag Kashyap for Phantom Films.
'Right Forward'
A documentary that encapsulates the moving and magical story of 12 young Indian girls from a slum in Mumbai to San Francisco, in pursuit of their passion for soccer.
'Moh Maya Money'
An urban tale that talks about the early things that materialistic greed can bring along with it. Ranveer Shorey and Neha Dhupia star in this film directed by Munish Bharadwaj.
'The Threshold'
In a world which always talks about young people, here's a film that deals with the issues of an old couple. Veteran actors Neena Gupta and Rajit Kapoor play the lead couple. The Hinglish film is directed by Pushan Kriplani.
'Tu Hai Mera Sunday'
This feature film revolves around five young men who have one thing in common: their Sunday ritual of playing football on the beach. But when they are banned from playing on Juhu beach, it is a challenge for them to find an alternate space in the crowded city of Mumbai. Milind Dhamade has directed the film.
'Chauthi Koot (The Fourth Dimension)'
Set in the Punjab of 80s, this Punjabi film connects two incidents to present the helpless situation of a common man caught between military and the militant movement for a separate Sikh nation.
