Highlights of day 2 (Sunday, October 20) of MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024
The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, one of Asia’s most prestigious cinematic events, is dazzling audiences with its 2024 edition from October 19 to 24. This six-day celebration promises a spectacular showcase of world cinema, community, creativity, and culture.
This year’s fantastic lineup features over 110 films in more than 50 languages, including features and non-features in all genres from around the world. PVR INOX and Regal Cinema are supporting the festival with screening venues.
On Day 2, spectacular films and hidden gems from World Cinema, Restored Classics, South Asia Competition, Gala Premieres, and other sections were screened. The highlight of the day were:
Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial, Arth, is a special screening at MAMI, honouring Shabana Azmi for her 50 glorious years in cinema. She also received the Excellence in Cinema Award during the opening ceremony.
Inder Malhotra (Kulbhushan Kharbanda), a fashionable filmmaker, is married to Pooja (Shabana Azmi) when he starts an affair with film star Kavita (Smita Patil). Pooja leaves him and experiences the social insecurities of a single working woman. Her dilemmas are highlighted by the parallel story of her cleaning lady (Hattangadi), Arth is the story of this woman’s search for her identity.
The Fable, directed by Raam Reddy and starring Manoj Bajpayee, which premiered at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Manoj Bajpayee, Priyanka Bose, Deepak Dobriyal and director Raam Reddy attended the screening. Set in the late 1980s in the Himalayas, the film follows Dev, a family man who builds mechanical wings and confronts mysterious fires in his orchard, unraveling deep truths about himself and his family.
Ghamasaan, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, had its Gala Premiere on the second day. Arshad Warsi along with Pratik Gandhi, Ishita Dutta and director Tigmanshu Dhulia attended the screening. The film explores themes of community, patriarchy, and desire through a gripping cat-and-mouse narrative, offering a fresh perspective on familiar landscapes.
Girls Will be Girls, directed by Shuchi Talati was a South Asia Competition film. A story about a 16-year-old Mira at a strict Himalayan boarding school who guards a risky secret: a forbidden romance with Sri, the charming new student in her class. When her mother Anila finds out about them, things don’t go south as Mira expects.
Konstantin Bojanov directorial The Shameless was screened as Focus South Asia at MAMI and had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The story is about, Renuka who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after killing a police officer. She starts a romance with Devika, a 17-year-old prostitute, after seeking refuge in a sex workers community.
Under World cinema section, The Substance by Coralie Fargeat was screened. A bold and provocative body horror film, The Substance critiques the toxic beauty standards imposed on women in Hollywood through the lens of an ageing celebrity. Demi Moore delivers a career-defining performance as Elisabeth Sparkle, a former fitness icon discarded by Hollywood.
Other notable attendees on Day 2 included Shabana Azmi, Vatsal Sheth, Hrithik Roshan, Vishal Bharadwaj, Gulshan Deviah amongst others.
