Bollywood takes stage at Melbourne International Film Festival
Peepli Live, directed by debutant Anusha Rizvi, got a strong reception at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival last January. The film is a black comedy about a debt-ridden farmer who creates a media frenzy when he announces that he will commit suicide so that his family can receive government assistance. Peepli Live releases worldwide on August 13.
Ishqiya, starring Vidya Balan, Arshad Warsi, and Naseeruddin Shah, released in January, and Love Sex Aur Dhokha released in March—both were critically acclaimed.
Australia's high commissioner to India, Lachlan Strahan, said in a statement about the Melbourne festival: “Australian audiences have embraced Bollywood and Indian cinema in recent years. With the growing Indian diaspora in Australia, and the growing profile of India internationally, Australians are hungry to learn more about India and its diverse cultures.”
The Melbourne International Film Festival is the largest film festival in Australia, with nearly 200,000 attendees, and it features films from more than 50 countries. The annual event was started in 1951, making it one of the oldest film festivals in the world.
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July 24, 2010
