All that’s left for me to say for now is that I thoroughly enjoyed working on this year’s festival. Kudos to all the volunteers, some of whom worked on the festival for months and months in advance, and kudos in particular to the organiser Siraj Zaidi. Thanks also to the Bollywood personalities who joined us this year, including Prakash Jha and Gul Panag.

See you all in 2011!

Before that at 4.20pm, there is a screening of Mangal Pandey, the 2005 movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier who is famous for his role in the Indian rebellion of 1857. The movie stars Aamir Khan as the eponymous Mangal Pandey.

Pandey was a soldier of Indian origin in the army of the East India Company. He saves the life of his British commanding officer, William Gordon, played by Toby Stephens and a strong friendship develops between them, notwithstanding their differences in rank and race.

Gordon and Pandey’s friendship is challenged following the introduction of a new rifle,  the cartridges of which were rumoured to be greased with either pig fat or beef tallow. This was an insulting idea to Muslim and Hindu soldiers, respectively, for religious reasons. British military drills of the time required soldiers to bite open the cartridge but the idea of having anything which might be contaminated with pig or beef fat in their mouths was unacceptable to the soldiers of both religions.

Gordon investigates, and is told to assure Pandey that the cartridges are free from pollution. Demonstrating his total trust in Gordon, Mangal bites the cartridge. But Pandey soon discovers that the cartridges really are greased by animal fat. The rumour of this insult is the spark that ignites the powder keg of resentment in the country. Mutiny breaks out, led by Pandey.

The two friends find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, which ultimately leads to a nationwide revolt against British rule.

A powerful historical epic with a great cast, Mangal Pandey is not to be missed.

The festival carried on today with seminars and masterclasses as well as more film screenings. It ends tomorrow Monday with Prakash Jha’s film Gangaajal, followed by dinner at Monsoon restaurant, which is included in the ticket price. So book your seats now!

But earlier than that, Shashi Kapoor’s 1978 classic Junoon will get a screening. Starring Kapoor himself, the film tells the story of some Mughals, led by Sarfaraz Khan. Following the establishment of the East India Company in 1857, they decided to rebel against their British masters, killing some and forcing others to flee.

This story is interwined with that of the Labadoor family. Three women from the  family, Grandma, Mariam, and Ruth, are captured by Khan and his men. Under normal circumstances, these three would have been executed, but Javed would like to make Ruth his second wife. Mariam is strongly against this move, but Javed is taken by Ruth’s beauty and nothing will stop him from marrying her. Then things gets really complicated when Ruth starts having feelings for Javed, and the British seek revenge for those killed by the Mughals. The scene is set for a tragic but heroic conclusion.

A classic film about an exciting period in India’s history, Junoon will keep you gripped until the final frame.

On with the film previews! Gangaajal, Holy Waters, is a 2003 film, directed by Prakash Jha, and starring Ajay Devgn, Gracy Singh, and Mukesh Tiwari.

A new police superintendent of police, Amit Kumar is assigned the task of taking charge of Tejpur Police Headquarters, and is immediately horrified by the level of police corruption he uncovers at the station. Bribery and nepotism is rife and widespread and to make matters worse, his investigation into this issue pits him against influential local politician, Sadhu Yadav.

Amit is undeterred by Yadav’s power, and arrests his brother, Sunder Yadav, and his men. While Sunder is quickly released, some police officers,  frustrated with the system,  pour acid into the eyes of two of Yadav’s men. They are left blinded. A media storm is ignited, crime drops to almost nothing and the police are regarded with sudden respect.

With an official inquiry started, Amit is suspended and ordered to appear before the court officials, where he must make a decision whether to back the corrupt police or admit the truth of Yadav’s account.  Based on a true story in Bhagalpur, where 30 or so prisoners were blinded by prison guards and police in the 1980s in India, Gangajaal is a powerful tale of power, betrayal and corruption, with a great central performance by Ajay Devgan.

The film unfolds over six days from the day the family’s mother dies to the day of the funeral. Family patriarch Sanjay is suddenly forced to engage with his three daughters and realises that he doesn’t really know his children at all. His daughters are modern young English women – and one of them is even dating a Muslim. Trying to come to terms with his loss, unable to avail of his wife’s calming influence, Sanjay finds himself re-assessing his role as a parent and facing up to his own anti-Muslim prejudice.

A thoroughly modern look at families, religion and loss, Life Goes on features a great cast that includes veteran Indian actor Om Puri (East is East).

The story tells of Auro, a smart and funny 12 year old boy who suffers from progeria. Mentally a normal 12-year-old boy, he physically looks far older. In spite of this, Auro is a happy and contented child, living with his mother Vidya. But his father, the ambitious and cold-hearted politician Amol, is unaware of his existence. Vidya has kept his father’s identity from her son to protect him from Amol’s certain rejection.

When Auro finally learns the truth, he is determined to go to Delhi to see his father and to get his parents back together. But will his condition, his father’s career and Amol and Vidya’s damaged past ruin their chances at future happiness?

Paa is a brave and touching film that will stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema.

Commissioner Rathod gets a telephone call from a man who claims him that he has placed several bombs all over Mumbai. Unless he arranges the release of four terrorists with Al Qaeda links, the bombs will explode – and one of them has been placed right opposite the Commissioner’s office. It will be now up to Rathod to decide whether or not to give in to the bomber’s demands. It’s going to be a very, very long day….

A tense thriller in which nothing is what it seems, A Wednesday was a critical and commercial hit on its release. A prequel movie has already been planned. Check out the trailer below and don’t miss the film itself this Sunday at the Swan cinema in Rathmines.

The film concerns two women who come from different backgrounds but are brought together by fate. Meera (Ayesha Takia) is a young woman who becomes a widow shortly after marriage and is trapped by tradition. Zeenat (Gul Panag), by contrast, faces the daunting task of saving the life of her husband, who is on trial for murder. When the two girls meet and form a bond, the relationship that follows carries the hope of redemption for both. But Meera is about to be faced with a decision that will test their friendship to the limit…

A story of hope, loss and betrayal, Dor was critically acclaimed upon its release in 2006 and stands as a moving account of female friendship. It features a fantastic performance from actress Gul Panag, who will be attending this year’s festival.

Naina is a disaffected Indian girl who lives with her widowed mother and helps her to run her failing restaurant. Her dad committed suicide some years earlier. The only hope she has is her engagement to Rohit, a bumbling masters student who has offered to marry her.

Then the charismatic, happy-go-lucky Aman moves in next door, and proves to be a positive catalyst in Naina’s humdrum life. She falls in love with him and he seems to feel the same, but still says he wants her to get married to Rohit. Naina must uncover why Aman won’t admit his feelings for her, and if there is another woman in his life.

The film was produced and co-written by Bollywood veteran Karan Johar, well-known for being the director of the hit films Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001). The movie is famous for its soundtrack, which was a huge commercial and critical success and earned the composers a National Film Award.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Bollywood romance without a dance number, in this case an extended musical sequence that takes place on the streets of New York. The film was a huge hit overseas as well as in India – this is your chance to see why. A charming modern romcom, this is new Bollywood at its best.

Bharti Rai (Nikhila Trikha), the daughter of Chief Minister Ramnath Rai,  rebels against her father and joins the rival party of leftist leader Bhaskar Sanyal (Naseeruddin Shah). Bharti develops an illicit relationship with the much older Bhaskar, who leaves her but not before getting her pregnant. Upon the child’s birth, Bharti’s brother Brij abandons him in  a boat .

Bharti later marries Chandra Pratap (Chetan Pandit), the younger brother of Bhanu Pratap, who leads the Rashtrawadi political party. When he suffers a stroke, he hands over power to his younger brother Chandra and to Chandra’s son, Prithvi Pratap (Arjun Rampal) — sidelining his own son, Veerendra Pratap (Manoj Bajpai). Veerendra, who believes power is his birthright, demands his uncle’s position, and after being rebuffed, enlists support from a Dalit leader, Sooraj (Ajay Devgan) — who, unknown to both, is Bharti’s abandoned son.

Veerendra has Chandra assassinated in his car with the help of Sooraj. In an ensuing furor, Prithvi is arrested by police under Veerandra’s influence. The scene is set for a feud that may destroy both political dynasties.

The film was particularly controversial upon its release due to the alleged similarities between the lead character and real-life politician Sonia Gandhi. However, Prakash Jha denied that this was intentional. There were also complaints about the levels of violence and the implication that compromises are unavoidable if you are to get ahead in politics. Nonetheless, the film garnered excellent reviews and is one of the highest-grossing Indian films of the last ten years.

If you’re looking for an intelligent, engrossing political thriller, you will want to check out Rajneeti.