IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: AMATEUR BOLLYWOOD DANCE COMPETITION!! - more information in BOLLYWOOD PARTY section

7-th annual of Prague Indian Film Festival is titled FACES OF INDIA. This year the festival takes place in two different locations in Prague - the screening hall at the Indian Embassy (12.-14.10.) and also small and big halls in Světozor cinema (15. - 18.).

Faces of India

Indian cinema has many faces. Some are old and some are new. Some are polished and some are edgy. Some are funny and some are tragic. Some are local and some are global.  Some call themselves Bollywood, others do not. And some are a combination of many things. This year, the Prague Indian Festival celebrates this the diversity of India’s commercial and non-commercial cinema through film screenings, discussions and highlights.

At the same time, we also acknowledge that the faces of Indian cinema reach far beyond the boundaries film-making and into audience halls all around the world.  The faces of Indian cinema are those who watch, critique and persistently return to watch Indian films. They may be older viewers attracted to the classics created by Satyajit Ray and Guru Dutt. They may be young audience members clamoring to see the latest hit. They may be in Mumbai. They may be in Los Angeles. They are also in Prague. Recognizing and honoring our audiences of the past seven years, and those who may join us for the first time this year, we dedicate this year’s festival to them and their faces of India.

Choose the style, which you prefer (colour):
Typical Bollywood
Not at all Bollywood
Somewhere in Between

INDIAN EMBASSY - 12. - 14. 10. - Milady Horákové 60/93, Praha 7


another map

Entrance to Embassy of India is nearby the endstation of trams no. 15,25,26. It is possible to take parking place (not on Indian Embassy). Visitors coming from Hradčanská subway station should go forward and to the right to street level. Leave the tunnel being built on the left side and go ahead Badeniho and Na Špejcharu street. That's it.




MONDAY OCTOBER 12 - 19.00 - screening hall - CHAK DE INDIA!
Can field hockey team break down prejudice? Kabir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) takes on the training of India women’s hockey team after a disastrous loss to India’s arch rival Pakistan. This is a tale of reconciliation, resilience and ultimately triumph. Enchanting urban and rural audiences alike, this commercially and critically successful blockbuster took India by storm.

Indie – 2007 – DVD – 153 min.
directed by : Shimit Amin
cast : Shahrukh Khan, Vidya Malvade, Tanya Abrol
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky
Free entry






Tuesday 13. 10. - 19.00 - screaning hall - BOBBY
A Raj Kapoor classic, this is a star–crossed of love story set in Bombay. Raja (Rishi Kapoor) is the son of a rich businessman. Bobby Braganza (Dimple Kapadia) is the daughter of a poor Christian fisherman. They two meet and fall in love. Their parents do not approve. A runaway hit when first released, this film was a like a breath of fresh air, which spawned fashion trends in ribbons, prints and skirts.

Indie – 1973 – DVD – 168 min.
directed by: Raj Kapoor
cast: Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia
Hindi language + English subtitles
Free entry





Wednesday 14. 10. - 19.00 - screaning hall - BILLU BARBER
Billu (Irrfan Khan) is a poor barber who lives with his wife Bindiya (Lara Dutta) and their two children in his village. He lives an uneventful life until Bollywood superstar Sahir (Shahrukh Khan) comes to the village for a film shoot and changes everything. Rumors spread that Billu is Sahir's close friend, and he becomes an overnight celebrity in the village. His shop receives donations. His client list grows exponentially. The local school even decides to educate waive his children’s tuition. But trouble brews when the villagers demand that Billu contact Sahir on their behalf…

Indie/USA – 2009 – DVD – 139 min.
directed by: Priyadarshan
cast: Irrfan Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Lara Dutta, Om Puri
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky
Free entry





KINO SVĚTOZOR - 15. - 18. 10. - Vodičkova 41, Praha 1

Thursday 15. 10. - 17.15 - velký sál - BACHNA AE HASEENO
In a Bollywoodlike and glossy frolic, this film follows Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor) on his romantic life journey. It all begins on a Euro Rail trip in 1996 when Raj meets Mahi who dreams of meeting her true love one day. Their budding romance is cut short when Raj gets cold feet and flees. Will Raj overcome fear of commitment? Will his romantic escapades lead him to true love one day?

Indie/USA – 2008 – DVD – 152 min.
directed by: Siddharth Anand
cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Minissha Lamba
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky







Thursday 15. 10. - 18.15 - malý sál - SONAR KELLA
This Satyajit Ray classic, this film revolves around Mukul (Kushal Chakravarti), a young boy who remembers events from his previous life. Aided by a therapist, he embarks on a search to find the place he lived in his previous incarnation. A newspaper prints the story and alludes to a hidden treasure at the site. Lured by the prospect of riches, a group of thieves quickly pick up in hot pursuit.

Indie/USA – 1974 – 35mm – 120 min.
directed by: Satyajit Ray
cast: Soumitra Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Siddartha Chatterjee
Bengli language + English subtitles



Thursday 20.15 - velký sál - LUCK BY CHANCE
Vikram, a young aspiring actor (Farhan Akhtar), arrives in Mumbai with dreams of becoming a star. Following the same dream, Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma) lives in the city too. Wide–eyed and ambitious, she is determined to make it in the industry. She lives on her own and spends her time with a motley crew of loyal friends involved in Bollywood. Inevitably, Vikram and Sona roads cross and sparks fly. Will their love survive their desire for stardom? What sacrifices will they have to make? This is a contemporary Bollywood tale set in a city desperate to escape its own reality.

Indie – 2009 – DVD – 156 min.
directed by: Zoya Akhtar
cast: Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Hrithik Roshan
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky





20.45 - malý sál - AAR-PAAR /
Kalu (Guru Dutt) is taxi driver who serves a short prison sentence for speeding. Upon his release, his old employer refuses to take him back on and Kalu wanders through the streets. On a whim, Kalu helps a young woman Nikki (Shyama) to fix her car who helps him get a job at her father's garage. Love blossoms. When Nikki’s father finds out, Kalu gets fired. Desperate, Kalu falls in with a band of crooks, which includes a dancer who develops a crush on Kalu, who still pines away for Nikki.

Indie – 1954 – DVD – 146 min.
directed by: Guru Dutt
cast: Shyama, Guru Dutt, Johnny Walker
Hindi language + English subtitles



Friday October 16 - 17.00 - velký sál - MAIN HOON NA
This brilliant Bollywood masterpiece established Farah Khan as a major Hindi film director. In it, Major Ram Prasad Sharma (Shahrukh Khan) yearns to see an ambitious project become a reality. But some forces will not stop at anything to make sure the mission doesn’t succeed. One of them is Raghavan who will do anything to prevent the strategic move. For this reason his devious shadow looms large over General Amerjet Bakshi’s daughter Sanjana, whose life is in danger. To protect Sanjana, Ram Prasad must go under cover as a student, leading to some unexpected consequences.

Indie – 2004 – DVD – 179 min.
directed by: Farah Khan
cast: Shahrukh Khan, Zayed Khan, Sushmita Sen, Kabir Bedi
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky



17.30 - malý sál - BOBBY
see film description on October 13



20.15 - velký sál - RAB NE BANA DI JODI
Shy, introverted, and kind–hearted, Suri Sahni (Shahrukh Khan) is an office worker for the Punjab Power Corporation. He quietly falls in love with Tania Gupta (Anushka Sharma), whom he first sees during the preparations for her wedding to another man. In an unexpected twist of fate, the marriage does not happen and Suri steps in to save the day. But how will he ever live up to Tania’s song-and-dance dream man fantasies? Can he make her love him? Will his decision to transform himself from a shy, introverted engineer into a dancing hero backfire?

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 167 min.
directed by: Aditya Chopra
cast: Shahrukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Vinay Pathak
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky






20.45 - malý sál - BOSE: THE FORGOTTEN HERO
Shyam Benegal’s film recounts the story of Subhas Chandra Bose, an Indian revolutionary. Born into a prominent Bengali family, Bose dedicated much of his younger years to India’s quest for independence from the British. He worked alongside Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi, but expressed his frustration, with Gandhi's slow and painstaking non violent ways. His revolutionary zeal took Bose in a very different, and often overlooked, direction.

Indie – 2005 – 35mm – 208 min.
directed by: Shyam Benegal
cast: Ila Arun, Pankaj Berry, Nicholas Chagrin
English



Saturday October 17 - 11.00 - malý sál - SONAR KELLA
see film description on October 15



12.00 - velký sál - JOHNY GADDAAR /
Five men, with notorious backgrounds, traverse the city. They are involved in various legal and not so legal activities. Then one of them gets wind of a get–quick–rich–scheme. All the gang members jump onboard and look forward to hitting it big. The game is set to begin when one of them decides to double–cross his partners in crime. The stakes are high in this edgy and tense drama where to loose is to die.

Indie – 2007 – DVD – 135 min.
directed by: Sriram Raghavan
cast: Dharmendra, Neil Mukesh, Rimi Sen
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky







13.15 malý sál - LADIES SPECIAL
Ladies Special is an account of journeys of women commuters travelling from Virar to Churchgate during office hours, in Mumbai’s only women only train called Ladies Special. The film gently uncovers the humour and the solidarity of female commuters as they create a space for themselves somewhere between work and home in the highly stressful life of Mumbai City. A space where they are not anybody’s wives, mothers, daughters–in–law, mothers–in–law… they are simply women. As one of the commuters rightly says “It’s their time and it’s time out.”

Indie – 2003 – DVD – 30 min.
directed by: Nidhi Tuli
Hindi/Marati/English subtitles
discussion with Karan Bali on India’s Independent Cinema following the screening (15 min.)
This film is part of a program curated by Karan Bali, filmmaker and co–founder of Upperstall.com



14.30 - malý sál - MORALITY TV AUR LOVING JEHAD: EK MANOHAR KAHANI / Morality TV and the Loving Jehad: A Thrilling Tale
In the winter of 2005, Indians switched on their TV sets to watch yet another “breaking news” story, which shocked them. In the town of Meerut, police officers, mostly women, swooped down on lovers in a park and began to beat them up. Along with them they took photographers and news cameramen with the promise of an exclusive sting operation. What is the story of this news story? The film looks outside the frames that weave the frenetic tapestry of Breaking News on India’s news channels to uncover a town’s complex dynamics – the fear of love, the constant scrutiny and control of women’s mobility and sexuality, a history of communal violence, caste brutalization and feudal equations.

Indie – 2007 – DVD – 31 min.
directed by: Paromita Vohra
Hindi language + English subtitles
This film is part of a program curated by Karan Bali, filmmaker and co–founder of Upperstall.com



15.00 - velký sál - DRONA / DRONA
A modern day fairy tale in Bollywood style, this is the story of the one man who can save the world by protecting the secret of the universe. Replete with special effects and epic undertones, a large part of this film was filmed on location in Prague. Cast as one of the film’s Czech leads, Táňa Fischerová will be present at the screening to speak about her experiences with working on a Bollywood production in the Czech Republic.

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 145 min.
directed by: Goldie Behl
cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jaya Bachchan, Táňa Fischerová
Hindi language + Enlish subtitles + české titulky
followed by a discussion with Táňa Fischerová and Q&A (30 min.)





15:30 - malý sál - SUPERMEN OF MALEGAON
Malegaon, a small town tucked away near the heart of India geographically, is fraught with communal tension and under economic depression. To escape the harsh reality of their world, its people seek refuge in the fantastical world of cinema. This passion for cinema has spurred a group of cinema enthusiasts to make their own films–quirky, low budget, socially aware and notoriously funny spoofs of Bollywood films. Their ambition has grown and now they are ready to take on Hollywood and Superman. We follow them on this journey. At times funny, tragic, contemplative. Always warm and engaging. And as the film begins to take shape, through schemes and approaches that are sublimely ingenious, simply bizarre and purely hysterical, we also slowly discover Malegaon itself.

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 52 min.
directed by: Faiza Ahmad Khan
Hindi and Urdu language + English subtitles
This film is part of a program curated by Karan Bali, filmmaker and co–founder of Upperstall.com



17.00 - malý sál - LAKSHMI AND ME
"What sin did I commit to be born a woman?" Lakshmi wonders aloud. A 21–year–old housemaid in Mumbai, she works ten hours a day, seven days a week. One of her employers is Nishtha Jain, who begins to make a documentary that explores their relationship. Nishtha films Lakshmi at home, and at work in various houses. She sees how Lakshmi negotiates two different kinds of spaces – her home where she is the boss, and other households where she is the maid. And, in the process, she explores their relationship with each other and reflects on the whole gamut of attitudes and issues between servants and employers. As Nishtha is drawn deeper into Lakshmi's life, she is forced to question many of the things she has taken for granted.

Indie – 2007 – DVD – 59 min.
directed by: Nishtha Jain
English/Hindi/Marathi/Tamil languages + English subtitles
This film is part of a program curated by Karan Bali, filmmaker and co–founder of Upperstall.com



18:30 - velký sál - DOSTANA / FRIENDS
Here is a story about two guys, Sameer Acharya (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kunal Chauhan (John Abraham), who meet during their apartment hunting. When they are disqualified from a potential rental place because the owner wants only female renters as the third occupant is a young woman, they come up with a plan to secure the apartment. If they pretend to be gay, the owner may allow them to rent together! All is well for while, but inevitably hilarious complications arise in this slightly edgy and newly risqué Bollywood comedy.

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 142 min.
directed by: Tarun Mansukhani
cast: John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky





18:45 - malý sál - SUPER30
In impoverished Bihar, math teacher Anand Kumar and his dedicated colleagues choose the 30 most promising and at–need local students and for eight grueling months train them rigorously for the all–important entrance exams for the Indian Institute of Technology. With entrance to IIT nearly guaranteeing a high paying job and a financial secure future upon graduation, the stakes could not be higher for the young students and their families. Along with the hard sacrifices and selfless dedication from others, SUPER 30 shows the real power of education to remake lives and communities.

GB – 2008 – BETA SP – 60 min.
directed by: Christopher Mitchell
Hindi language + English subtitles



20:15 - malý sál - ZANJEER / THE CHAIN
“This is the perfect example of the right film at the right time. It came at a time when the country was tiring of Rajesh Khanna’s romantic mannerisms and turning to more real issues, the issue of day–to–day living. There was much disillusionment, especially among the youth of the country, a quarter of a century after Indian Independence. Life had become one big struggle, corruption was rife, unemployment was an all time high. And then Zanjeer happened. Audiences were stunned and happily embraced this new hero – the ‘angry young man’ as he took on his problems and solved them himself, even taking recourse outside the law if need be.” (upperstall.com)

Indie/USA – 1973 – 35mm – 145 min.
directed by: Prakash Mehra
cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Pran
Hindi language + English subtitles



Neděle October 18 - 12.30 - malý sál - THE ORGANIC WAY
Between 2001 and 2007, over 150,000 farmers have committed suicide across India. Every suicide has a multiplicity of causes, but the common factors are the rising cost of chemical fertiliser and pesticide based agriculture, declining soil fertility and a growing dependence on commercial varieties of seeds. But in many parts of the country, small farmers are re–discovering their own sustainable ways to farm. These farmers may live and work in different geographical, climatic and economic conditions, grow a variety of crops and have different degrees of skill and knowledge. But, they all belong to a growing number of farmers who may have found a way to deal with the agrarian crisis in India. This film profiles four such farmers.

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 58 min.
directed by: Sunil Shanbag
Hindi language + English subtitles
This film is part of a program curated by Karan Bali, filmmaker and co–founder of Upperstall.com



13.30 - velký sál - BHOOL BHULAIYAA / A MAZE
This comedy–suspense–horror story revolves around a village’s ancestral palace haunted by Manjulika, a Bengali dancer ghost. One day, Siddharth (Shiney Ahuja) a descendant of the village’s royal family and his wife Avni (Vidya Balan), and decide to stay for a month in the haunted ancestral palace. Unexpectedly, Siddharth is crowned as the king of the village and decides to accept his royal heritage. Events take an unexpected twist when Avni opens a locked forbidden room in the palace and strange things begin to happen.

Indie – 2007 – DVD – 159 min.
directed by: Priyadarshan
cast: Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Ameesha Patel
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky



14.00 -malý sál - THE GREAT INDIAN SCHOOL SHOW
The management of a school installs around 200 Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) on its premises, 'covering' all classrooms, corridors, stairways, playgrounds....What repercussions could this move have? What does this constant monitoring mean in terms of education, discipline, and covert politics? And the Big Brother principal has even bigger plans of using the latest technology to track what a student sitting in the last row is writing in his notebook! School life will never be the same in this school for sure. The film has been invited and screened at more than 20 international film festivals and won the Indian Documentary Producers' Association (IDPA) award in 2006.

Indie – 2005 – DVD – 53 min.
directed by: Avinash Deshpande
English and Hindi language + English subtitles
This film is part of a program curated by Karan Bali, filmmaker and co–founder of Upperstall.com



15:30 - malý sál - SOTTO IL CIELO DI AHMEDABAD / Under Ahmedabad Sky
Every year millions of little fighting kites fill the sky of Ahmedabad with their colors. Makar Sankranti began as only a Hindu religious festival, but has evolved into an extraordinary competition involving millions of participants. But what happens to the many kites that fall to the ground during the aerial battle? To find the answer, this film looks into the eyes of the street children, the outcasts, who still find the sky today to be inaccessible.

Italie – 2007 – BETA SP – 37 min.
directed by: Francesca Lignola, Stefano Rebechi
Gujarati language + English subtitles



16.30 - velký sál - GHAJINI / GHAJINI / GHAJINI
Sanjay Singhania (Aamir Khan) is a rich businessman who owns a cellular phone company. Kalpana (Asin Thottumkal) is a successful model with a heart of gold. The two meet and instantly fall in love. But their happy love story is cut short when Kalpana saves a group of young girls from rowdy boys. A few days later, the same boys attack Kalpana is killed and Sanjay is hit on his head with an iron rod. Struck with partial amnesia, Sanjay is determined to take revenge on his assailants.

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 220 min.
directed by: A.R. Murugadoss
cast: Aamir Khan, Asin Thottumkal, Jiah Khan
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky




17.00 - malý sál - SITA SINGS THE BLUES
Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, this animated feature is a visual delight honored by film festivals around the world.

USA – 2008 – DVD – 82 min.
directed by: Nina Paley
Hindi language + English



19.00 - malý sál - BOSE: THE FORGOTTEN HERO
see film description on October 16



20.00 - velký sál - ROCK ON!!
When we first meet them, Aditya, Joe, Rob, and Kedar are four friends struggling to make it big in the rock world. Dedicated to their art, they get by playing at weddings and other social events. On an impulse, they enter a Channel V competition, a decision that changes their lives forever. Once the euphoria of winning settles, they are faced with may challenges brought on by success. Will the band, and the friendships, make it, or will they succumb to the spotlight? Where will these four friends be in ten years?

Indie – 2008 – DVD – 145 min.
directed by: Abhishek Kapoor
cast: Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Koel Purie, Shahana Goswami
Hindi language + English subtitles + české titulky







BOLLYWOOD PARTY
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17. – 22.00 P.M. CLUB
Festival bollywood party will take place like every year in the evening 17.10. from 10:00 pm up to the morning! in the PM Club, Trojicka 8, Prague 2

And what can you look forward to? ...

The Bollywood dance show: Ta-Natyam, Aaja Nachle (group of Dance Centre), Garam Masala
DJ San Jay (Munich Masala Team, Mnichov / D)
A little dance school of Bollywood with Sangita - for everyone.
Knowledge and dance competitions with lots of presents and surprise for winner during whole evening.
Bollywood discotheque and video projection up to the morning.

The partner of the party isThe Centre of Dance



More information about the party program here zde.


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