Romance is a thing of beauty. Memory is a thing of joy. Romance is a never-fading piece of memory which never grows old. It is true about Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, one of the most popular Bollywood romantic films, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary yesterday. Since its release in October 1995, this movie starring Shah Rukh and Kajol, one of the most celebrated onscreen couples, has been a rage with Indians of all ages. Mumbai seems to have had not enough of romance as Maratha Mandir Theater in the city has been screening Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge for 1000 weeks. It is not just a romance but also a family drama. It is a travel movie to some extent, too.

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge has become an iconic entertainment in Indian Cinema and has been ruling our hearts for several reasons including portrayal of beautiful landscapes from London to Switzerland to Punjab, and depiction of cultural traditions in India apart from the evergreen love story and melodious music. The song, “Ghar aaja pardesi, tera desh bulayere” (O’ migrants, come back home; your home, your country is missing you), has finely captured the nuances of nostalgia that every NRI experiences and relates to. The picturization of the song featuring a few colorfully dressed Punjabi girls running through the sprawling mustard fields is full of emotional vibes which touch the Indian hearts to the core despite migration to foreign lands.

The story of the movie begins in London and ends in Punjab connecting NRIs back to their roots in India. It depicts that an NRI family living in London for years does not break loose from their cultural identity and Indian values. It is not a myth but a reality that Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge holds to. Though NRIs assimilate the foreign culture, they do not camouflage themselves with it. The movie also populated the idea that wearing a foreign outfit does not mean changing the inner self which knows where you belong to and does not let you forget it.

The movie depicts Indian cultural traditions through pre-wedding rituals in the Punjabi community, to say the Karva Chauth ceremony. This very essence of Indianness which the visual frames of the story have emotively captured is a key to the success and popularity of the movie among Indians as well as NRIs. The musical and cultural extravaganza of Indian weddings has found a place in the song, “Mehendi lagake rakhna, doli sajake rakhna”, which, still the friends and siblings of brides and grooms groove to during pre or post wedding celebrations in India.

If you literally miss your native home, native friends and whatever you have grown up with in India while watching Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge once again, don’t miss booking cheap flights to India at Indian Eagle.

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Good news for Indian Cinema lovers in the United States! The George Eastman Museum has acquired the world’s biggest collection of contemporary Indian cinema, thereby transforming itself into a new destination for Indians in America, admirers of Indian films and movie buffs in general. Such a huge and varied collection of 774 prints and a few thousand posters of the Indian films from 1999 to 2013 has hardly been acquired or archived by any other museum in the world.

The George Eastman Museum’s acquisition of the world’s largest collection of Indian film prints and posters has many eyebrows in surprise. The museum has been running an exhibition titled “Stories of Indian Cinema: Abandoned and Rescued” to walk visitors through the story behind the acquisition of the collection, which previously belonged to Naz Cinema owned by an Indian American in Lakewood, California.

Located in Rochester, New York’s George Eastman Museum is all set to become a haven of entertainment for Indians in the United States, by the virtue of its newly acquired collection of Indian Cinema. The exclusive collection not only includes popular Bollywood Hindi films but also consists of films in several regional languages of India like Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi and Malayalam.

Lagaan, Devdas, Omkara, Dil Se, 1947 Earth, Kareeb, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Bombay Talkies, Black and The Lunchbox, which made rounds at prestigious international film festivals, are some of the super hit Bollywood films in the collection.

New York-based George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest museum in the fields of photography and cinema. Founded in 1949 by philanthropist George Eastman, the owner of Eastman Kodak, this iconic museum is renowned for restoring, developing and preserving world-class collections of photography and cinema. It is also an educational institution of leaders in photography and cinema preservation. One of the best places to visit in New York!

Paolo Cherchi Usai, a senior curator at the George Eastman Museum, said that the acquisition is aimed at “preserving the essential elements of India’s cinematic heritage for both present and future audiences, and is intended to help non-Indian viewers understand Indian Cinema more precisely.” He further said that they had been on a hunt for Indian film prints and posters for almost 20 years, and that the opportunity to acquire Naz Cinema’s collection of Indian cinema put an end to their quest all of a sudden in 2014.

“First-generation Indian Americans or young Americans of Indian origin will be able to imbibe the cultural diversity and values of India by watching the films acquired by the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. It will initiate them into the cultural pluralism of India that America is also known for,” Indian Eagle’s editor for Travel Beats opined.

The George Eastman Museum has already screened Devdas and Om Shanti Om, both starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead, for visitors. Screenings are scheduled for Swades, Lagaan, Umrao Jaan, Dev D and Kadal in the coming days of 2018. Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan starring Aamir Khan will be screened at Dryden Theater on January 25. The show will begin at 7:30 PM.

We at Indian Eagle, a trusted travel partner of Indians in America booking their trips to India, publish stories of Indians in USA, share latest air travel news and list upcoming Indian American events on our community portal, Travel Beats.

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With Cannes on the French Riviera rolling out the red carpet for its annual film festival commencing on May 11, we at IndianEagle leafed through the history of Indian Cinema at Cannes Film Festival from 1946 to 1999. Iconic films by legendary filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Goutam Ghose and Chetan Anand won prestigious awards at Cannes and depicted India to a global audience from different perspectives. Let’s rejoice in the golden moments of Indian Cinema at Cannes from the last five decades of the 20th century, once again.

Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar at Cannes 1946

The Festival de Cannes had lifted the curtain in 1946 after a six-year-long break for the Second World War. Chetan Anand’s acclaimed Neecha Nagar among the Indian films at Cannes Film Festival 1946 earned the top award, Grand Pix du Festival International du Film, and shared it with David Lean’s Brief Encounters. Starring actress Kamini Kaushal and danseuse Zohra Sehgal, Neecha Nagar was the first Indian film to shot to prominence on a global stage. The Grand Pix award has been renamed Palme d’Or. Based on a short story by Hayatulla Ansari, Neecha Nagar depicts social realism through a grim picture of chasm between the rich and the poor in the then Indian society.

Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram’s Amar Bhupali at Cannes 1952

In 1952, filmmaker Rajaram Vankudre Shantaram’s Amar Bhupali (The Immortal Song) represented Indian Cinema at Cannes Film Festival. A Marathi biopic on a poet and a musician Honaji Bala, Amar Bhupali is a poignant tale of the last few days of the Maratha Confederacy in the early 19th century. The film portrays the poet as a lover of the musician and as an admirer of the Lavani dance form. Though nominated for the prestigious Grand Prix du Festival International du Film, it managed to an award for Excellence in Sound Recording.

Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen at Cannes 1954

In the history of Bollywood at Cannes Film Fest, 1954 was the year of Bimal Roy’s classic Do Bigha Zamin (Two Acres of Land). It won the illustrious Prix Internationale at the Cannes 1954. A critical take on social realism in post-independence Indian society, Do Bigha Zamin depicts the eventful journey of a poor farmer from rural Bengal to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in a futile attempt to save his land from a greedy zamindar. It established Bimal Roy as a pioneer of the neo-realist movement in Indian Cinema.

Also Check Black & White Calcutta in 1960s

Bimal Roy’s Biraj Bahu at Cannes 1955

Again it was Bimal Roy whose Biraj Bahu glorified Indian Cinema at Cannes Film Festival 1955. Though it was in competition with Raj Kapoor’s Boot Polish and films from other countries, it bagged the most coveted Palme d’Or. However, Baby Naaz was honored with a Special Distinction Award for her powerful performance in Boot Polish. Based on a Bengali novel by Saratchandra Chattopadhyay, Biraj Bahu is the story of a Bengali couple who goes through hard times due to an unexpected deceit by a family member. It stars Kamini Kaushal in a lead role.

Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali at Cannes 1956

Image Credit: The Hindu.com

In 1956, legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray was the glorious face of Indian Cinema at Cannes Film Festival. Pather Panchali, the first film in Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy, brought the Palme d’Or for Best Human Document to India. One of the greatest Indian films of all time, Pather Panchali depicts the struggle of a family in rural Bengal. Ray was the first to use lyrical realism in Bengali Cinema.

Mrinal Sen’s Kharij at Cannes 1983

Image Credit: NJISACF.org

Of all Indian films that the 1983 Cannes Film Fest screened, Mrinal Sen’s Kharij (Case is Closed) bagged the Special Jury Prize. It was a far more offbeat film than other films in competition. Mrinal Sen exposed the exploitation of underprivileged working classes in the 1980s’ India by depicting how accidental death of an underage servant affected the family where he worked. It was a successor to social realism that Bimal Roy pioneered.

Indian Films at Cannes from 1957 to 1982

The period from 1957 to 1982 saw screening of several Indian films at Cannes Film Festival, but neither of them brought any award to India from Cannes. Parash Pathar and Devi by Satyajit Ray, Sujata by Bimal Roy, Nishant by Shyam Benegal, Ek Din Pratidin by Mrinal Sen, Pardesi by Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, and Garam Hawa by M S Sathyu traveled to Cannes during this period.

Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay at Cannes 1988

Image Credit: Clickker.in

In 1988, New York based Indian Filmmaker Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay stole the show with the jury of Cannes Film Festival. It won both the Camera d’Or and the Audience Award at Cannes 1988. Mira Nair’s first feature film in documentary style, Salaam Bombay penetrates the glittering picture of Mumbai, which is often called a city of the high and mighty, to expose the ordeals of children from the streets of Bombay. For the first time, some of Bombay’s street children were cast and trained to portray their bleak lives in a seedy world which was unknown to a majority of global audience. It was also nominated for the Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The 1988 Cannes also screened the National Film Award winning ‘Antarjali Jatra’ by Kolkata based filmmaker Goutam Ghose in the Un Certain Regard section. This Bengali film was adapted from a novel titled ‘Mahayatra’ by Kamal Kumar Majumdar. – IndianEagle

Satyajit Ray’s Ganashatru at Cannes 1989

Image Credit: Zulm.net

From 1989 to 1996, the regional cinemas of India replaced Hindi or Bollywood films at Cannes. Satyajit Ray’s Ganashatru, a Bengali film from Kolkata, had a special screening (out of competition) in 1989. Manipuri filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma’s Ishanou was the first to represent Northeast Indian Cinema at Cannes in 1991. Indradhanura Chhai, an Oriya film, competed with other regional films of India for the Grand Prize at Cannes in 1995.

Also Read Story of Hand-Pulled Rickshaws from Calcutta to Kolkata

Asif Kapadia’s The Sheep Thief & Goutam Ghose’s Gudia in 1997 

Out of the Indian films at Cannes in 1997, The Sheep Thief by Asif Kapadia, an NRI filmmaker from London, walked away with the Cinéfondation Award. Based on a Biblical story and shot in Rajasthan, The Sheep Thief is a 24-minute short film, which Asif Kapadia made in his final year of graduation at London’s Royal College of Art. It depicts the travails of a sheep stealer in rural India. Bengali filmmaker Goutam Ghose’s Hindi film Gudia based on a play by Mahasweta Devi, a renowned writer and social activist, was screened in the same year.

Murli Nair’s Marana Simhasanam at Cannes 1999

The 1999 Cannes screened Murli Nair’s Marana Simhasanam (The Throne of Death), a Malayalam film from Kerala. It was a milestone in the 20th century’s history of Indian Cinema at Cannes Film Festival. Inspired by the first execution by electric chair in India, Murli Nair’s Marana Simhasanam shows how class oppression and political manipulation victimizes a poor villager in Kerala, who steals some coconuts to feed his family. Told through relatively fewer dialogues in the script, the film touched the raw nerves of audience and walked away with the Camera d’Or at Cannes 1999.

Also Check India’s Official Entry to Cannes 2016

Travel Beats is a fast-growing digital portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization. It publishes the latest news, interesting features and inspirational stories from different walks of life in India and the US.    

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One of the most awaited New York City events in May; New York Indian Film Festival 2016 has unveiled its list of Indian films along with the schedule of screenings from May 7 to May 14. The festival celebrates regional cinemas of India including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English through screening of short films, documentaries and feature films from different genres of cinema like independent, art house, offbeat and alternate.

Interestingly, the schedule of NYIFF 2016 features six Bengali films by National Film Award winners including Aparna Sen, Kaushik Ganguly, Srijit Mukherjee and Sumon Ghosh from Kolkata. Here is why these Bengali films are worth watching:

Cinemawala by Kaushik Ganguly

Cinemawala on the NYIFF 2016 schedule of screenings is one of the few films awaited by Indians in New York. Kaushik Ganguly depicts the changing world of a retired film exhibitor from a small town in Bengal and his unhappy relationship with his only son who sells pirated DVDs of films. The protagonist owns a movie theatre which stops operating due to lack of digital technology and does not like his son’s aberrant business.

One of the finest Indian filmmakers, Kaushik Ganguly is known for his award-winning unconventional movies like Shabdo, Arekti Premer Galpo and Chotoder Chobi.

• Date: May 9
• Time: 9:30 PM
• Venue: Village East Cinema

 Arshinagar by Aparna Sen

Bengalis in New York will also watch Arshinagar by Aparna Sen at the 16^th New York Indian Film Festival. The film depicts a rivalry-ridden world of two real estate business enemies from two different communities. They are at loggerheads over their interest in Arshinagar Slum which they want to evacuate to make space for luxury apartments and shopping malls. Their business battle gradually becomes a personal tragedy for them. Arshinagar by Aparna Sen has a stellar cast of Waheeda Rehman, Kaushik Sen, Roopa Ganguly, Jisshu Sengupta, Kamaleswar Mukherjee and Paran Bandhyopadhyay.

Aparna Sen who started her acting career with Oscar-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray shot to fame in filmmaking when her Mr. and Mrs. Iyer won the National Film Award. She was felicitated with a Special Achievement Award at Washington DC South Asian Film Festival in 2015.

• Date: May 11
• Time: 6:15 PM
• Venue: Village East Cinema

Rajkahini by Srijit Mukherjee

Rajkahini tells how the border between Bengal and East Pakistan affects the lives of inmates of a brothel during the partition of India in 1947. When the sex workers are forced to vacate the building since it falls on the boundary between India and East Pakistan, they take up guns to fight back for the sake of their existence. Finally, the house becomes an inferno engulfing the brave women fighters under their own roof and in their own land, while the story of Rani Padmini of Chittorgarh is narrated in background. The cast of Rajkahini includes leading Bengali actors like Rituparna Sengupta, Koushik Sen, Saswata Chatterjee and Abir Chatterjee.

Srijit Mukherjee is one of the eminent Bengali filmmakers in Indian Cinema. His directorial debut Autograph was a critical and commercial success (2010). He has won six National Film Awards.

• Date: May 11
• Time: 9:15 PM
• Venue: Village East Cinema

Peace Haven by Sumon Ghosh

Among the Bengali films on the lineup of screenings for New York Indian Film Festival 2016, Peace Heaven is an unconventional story of three septuagenarian friends who decide to build their own mortuaries. The cremation of a friend in his son’s friend moves them to build proper mortuaries for themselves in their hometown so that their dead bodies can be preserved for last rites by their children who live abroad. They contemplate a morgue “Peace Haven” for themselves. The film casts veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee in one of the lead roles.

Suman Ghosh is one of the National Film Award winning directors in Bengali Cinema. A graduate of Cornell University from New York, he debuted into filmmaking with Footsteps which won two National Film Awards in 2012.

• Date: May 13
• Time: 9 PM
• Venue: Village East Cinema

Shaheb Bibi Golaam by Pratim Dasgupta 

The list of films for New York Indian film Festival 2016 include another Bengali film Shaheb Bibi Golaam by Pratim Dasgupta. It is a poignant story of a middle-class Hindu housewife, a middle-aged Anglo-Indian man, and a Muslim taxi driver. They live in different worlds, which collide on a winder afternoon in Kolkata.

Pratim Dasgupta, a journalist critic, debuted as a filmmaker with Paanch Adhyay which was premiered at New York’s South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF). Shaheb Bibi Golam stars Anjan Dutt, Swastika Mukherjee and Ritwick Chakrabarty.

• Date: May 9
• Time: 6 PM
• Venue: Village East Cinema

City of Dark by Spandan Banerjee

One of the Bengali films on the lineup of screenings at NYIFF 2016, City of Dark tells the story of two car journeys for six days and six nights in the city of Delhi. It shows how two characters – one is a struggling actor and the other is lonesome – fall in love due to accidental meetings during their journeys, which unfolds the dark side of the city.

Spandan Banerjee is a National Award winning filmmaker and founder of Overdose Films. Some of his films like Beware Dogs, To-Let, You Don’t Belong and English India have traveled to international film festivals. City of Dark stars Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, an eminent Bengali actor.

• Date: May 8
• Time: 9:30 PM
• Venue: Village East Cinema

The NYIFF 2016 schedule features screening of Bardroy Baretto’s Nachom-ia Kumpasar as the opening film, Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni’s Highway as the centerpiece film and Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh as the closing film. Check Details of Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Films.    

Travel Beats is a digital portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading travel organization. Travel Beats publishes interesting stories and news about travel, culture, entertainment, lifestyle and aviation from India and the US.

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The month of May is awaiting the inauguration of New York Indian Film Festival 2016, one of the most exciting New York events for Indians in the United States. Scheduled to continue from May 7 to 14, NYIFF has started rolling out the red carpet for actors and filmmakers from India as well as the USA.

The festival authority has not yet published the list of films for screening at NYIFF 2016 which Indians in New York and other cities are curious about. However, Bardroy Baretto’s Nachom-ia Kumpasar (Let’s Dance to the Rhythm) is the film to be screened on the opening night of New York Indian Film Festival. It depicts the bygone eras of Goan music in the Konkani region of India.

A tribute to the generation of Goan musicians in the 1960s and 70s, Let’s Dance to the Rhythm is a tragic love story with an emotional narrative about the past glory of Jazz music outside the popular Hindi cinema of Bombay (now Mumbai).

It is a cinematic celebration of music and love or love for music. With screening of Let’s Dance to the Rhythm, the opening night of the festival is sure to be the most entertaining of all New York City events in May. – Aseem Chhabra, Director of the New York Indian Film Festival.

“All is well if the end is well.” The maxim seems to be true about the closing night of the cultural extravaganza as the Indian community in New York will watch Aligarh, a critically acclaimed film by Hansal Mehta. Aligarh was recently released in India amidst controversial circumstances.

Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh starring Manoj Bajpayee in the lead is a biopic on the real life story of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was a professor of Marathi language at Aligarh Muslim University in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was a published poet too. Some of his colleagues conspired against him and got him suspended under the pretext of his sexual orientation.

Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni’s Highway will be screened as centerpiece film at the New York Indian Film Festival 2016. It is a Marathi film set on the Mumbai-Pune highway, which depicts the eventful journey of characters from different walks of life. They discover and confront their unknown selves during the journey which ends up being an unexpected one. Highway marks the Marathi debut of Bollywood artists: Huma Qureshi, Tisca Chopra and Amit Trivedi. It also casts Renuka Sahane and Girish Kulkarni.

Among the New York City events in May, NYIFF 2016 will be a most glittering gala with the presence of eminent celebrities such as filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, filmmaker Hansal Mehta, actress Aparna Sen, author Salman Rushdie, cookbook writer Madhur Jaffrey, actor Naseruddin Shah, filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni and singer Rekha Bhardwaj. Arun Singh, Indian Ambassador to the US, is also on the list of guests at the New York Indian Film Festival.

The 16^th edition of NYIFF will screen some of the Indian movies which won the 63^rd National Film Awards this year. NYIFF 2016 is all set to be bigger than the 15^th edition in 2015 in number of days and films as well as in variety of languages and themes. Three theatres including Skirballl Centre for Performing Arts and Village East Cinemas in New York City will hold screenings for 8 days from May 7 to 14.

The fourth theatre will host judges, guests and board members for interesting panel discussions on different topics including LGBT, regional language cinema, animation films, popular film culture, filmmaking in New York, etc. There will be a panel discussion on the evergreen films by yesteryear filmmakers such as Bimal Roy and Basu Bhattacharya in Indian Cinema, too.

Renowned filmmaker Mira Nair is one of the emcees to give the welcome address at the 16^th New York Indian Film Festival 2016. 

Check Details Bollywood Exhibition in Washington DC

Travel Beats is a digital portal by IndianEagle for Indians and NRIs. IndianEagle, a leading travel organization, publishes interesting travel stories and entertainment news from USA and India.             

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Good news for bookworms and gaming buffs across the world! India’s most expensive and highest grossing Baahubali movie is to be released as other mediums of entertainment, including graphic novels, comic books, games and animated series for both adults and children. Filmmaker S.S. Rajamouli’s Baahubali: The Beginning is titled the best film among the 63^rd National Film Awards winners this year.

S.S. Rajamouli says that India will see a whole new dimension of popular characters Baahubali and Bhallala Deva in graphic novels, animated series and comic books for all age groups. He adds that these popular mediums of entertainment will capture the larger-than-life story of Baahubali which can’t be told in a limited time frame of one or two films.

The world of Baahubali is too vast to be pictured in the reel simply because there is so much to tell, to show and to share with a global audience. What we have managed to show in Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali: The Conclusion (upcoming) is just a chip of the iceberg. – S.S. Rajamouli

Filmmaker Rajamouli gives an instance to throw more light on the purpose of telling the story of Baahubali in graphic novels, games and comics. The eventful journey of the protagonist from cradle to grave is a whole new story behind Baahubali movie. What the audience has seen is a few fleeting scenes from the time Baahubali was a toddler to when he was a 27-year-old adult in the film.

S.S. Rajamouli has teamed up with Graphic India to tell the untold story of Baahubali in graphic novels and animated series through digital technology. The cinematic medium offers limited space which cannot accommodate all the events related to intrigues and adventure in the life of Baahubali and other characters, according to the makers of Baahubali movie.

Baahubali in graphic novels and comics has a huge market in a country like India where character entertainment is still not much popular, while the global character entertainment industry is worth over $100 billion in countries like the United States, Japan and Korea, according to Graphic India. Comic books and graphic novels on Baahubali movie may be released in June or July this year. It will be followed by animated series around the release of Baahubali: The Conclusion on April 14 in 2017.

S.S. Rajamouli is sanguine that the story of Baahubali in graphic novels and comics can run into thousands of pages.

Read More Best Books on India Travel

Travel Beats is a digital portal by IndianEagle for Indians and Indian Diaspora. IndianEagle, a leading travel organization, publishes interesting stories and news about travel, culture, events, festivals and entertainment from India and USA.

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With the announcement of the 63^rd National Film Awards winners today, movie buffs and fans of film stars heaved a sigh of ease over the end of a long waiting period. Now is the time for them to rejoice in the achievements of their favorite actors and directors who are among the winners of the 63^rd National Film Awards.

In the main categories of the National Film Awards, S S Rajamouli’s Baahubali is selected the Best Film. Baahubali starring Prabhas and Rana Daggubati is the most expensive Indian film. Baahubali 2 will be released in April 2017.

Among the 63^rd National Film Awards winners, Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is named the Best Director for his latest blockbuster Bajirao Mastani starring Ranvir Singh, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone in the lead.

Legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan is chosen for the National Film Awards in Best Actor. He was nominated for playing a 70-year-old whimsical Bengali father of a lonely, working girl in Piku, a box office success and a favorite of film critics.

Actress Kangana Ranaut from Himachal Pradesh, who has been hailed as the Queen of Bollywood since tremendous success of her film Queen in 2014, is titled Best Actress for her notable acting in Tanu Weds Manu Returns. It is her third National Film Award in Indian Cinema.

Among the other winners of National Film Awards, Masaan by Neeraj Ghaywan is named the Best Directorial Debut in 2015. Masaan depicts the nuances of life in Varanasi, a small town, where one’s personal freedom is crushed under the pressure of societal norms and where there is no escape from the toil of running in a circle.

The “Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment” title goes to Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan starring Salman Khan in the lead. Bajrangi Bhaijaan is the story of a Hindu wrestler who braves all odds of the India-Pakistan border to help a young Muslim girl go back her home in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir region (POK).

Dum Laga Ke Haisha is named the Best Feature Film in Hindi among the 63^rd National Film Awards winners. Shot in Agra, a heritage tourist place in Uttar Pradesh, Dum Laga Ke Haisha depicts how the arranged marriage of an illiterate boy and an educated girl with inflated figure comes at the verge of breakup and how the bride takes the stand of her right to dignity.

The Special Jury Award goes to Kalki Koechlin, who plays a differently abled, bisexual girl in Margarita with a Straw by Indian American filmmaker Shonali Bose. Kalki Koechlin was critically acclaimed for essaying the protagonist’s physically challenged existence and sexual fantasies in a society which is biased towards homosexuality.

The list of the National Film Awards winners has Monali Thakur as the Best Female Playback Singer for the song “Moh Moh Ke Dhaage” in Dum Laga Ke Haisha. The same song is also selected in the Best Lyrics category.

The National Film Award in Best Choreography goes to Remo D’Souza for his choreography of the song “Deewani Mastani” in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajrao Mastani.

Nanak Shah Fakir is the Best Feature Film on National Integration among the 63^rd National Film Awards winners. Nanak Shah Fakir is a Punjabi film on the life and teachings of the Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev. It was premiered and appreciated at the Cannes Film Festival 2014. Tuomas Kantelinenm, a renowned Hollywood music director, composed the original score of the film.

The Other 63^rd National Film Awards Winners in Regional Languages of India:

• Shankhachil: Best Feature Film in Bengali
• Thithli: best Feature Film in Kannada
• Pathemari: Best Feature Film in Malayalam
• Ringan: Best Feature Film in Marathi
• Visaranai: Best Feature Film in Tamil
• Kanche: Best Feature Film in Telugu
• Chauthi Koot: Best Feature Film in Punjabi
• Pahada Ra Luha: Best Feature Film in Oriya
• Kothanodi: Best Feature Film in Assamese
• Eibusu Yaohan Biyu: Best Feature Film in Manipuri

Travel Beats is a fast-growing digital portal by IndianEagle in culture, entertainment, travel, tourism, aviation, food and news for Indians at home and abroad. IndianEagle is a leading international travel organization operating from the USA. 

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The current generation of Indians and NRIs who have grown up watching the popular TV series Mowgli based on Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle book has eagerly been waiting for the release of Disney’s 3D animation film The Jungle Book starring 11-year-old Indian-American Neel Sethi from New York. The Hindi version of Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book will be released on April 8 in India and the English version will hit screens across the United States on April 15.

The film has already fired up excitement of the Indian audience around the voicing of the animal characters in the Hindi version by none other than such popular Indian actors as Priyanka Chopra, Nana Patekar, Irrfan Khan, Shefali Shah and Om Puri. The latest attraction of The Jungle Book is its dialogue writer and lyricist Mayur Puri, who has worked on several projects produced by Disney India, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company in the United States.

Mayur Puri (left) in the picture

Disney India has roped in lyricist and screenwriter Mayur Puri to pen dialogues and lyrics for the Hindi version of The Jungle Book. Mayur Puri who got a break as assistance director in the entertainment industry of India debuted into screenwriting with Bollywood film Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai by Yash Raj Films in 2002. Born in Ajmer, Rajasthan and brought up in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Mayur Puri had an adventurous beginning when he decided to move from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Naturally, he connects with the adventures of Mowgli in The Jungle Book.

However, Mayur came into limelight as screenwriter of blockbuster Om Shanti Om starring Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in 2007. His screenwriting for Om Shanti Om catapulted him to fame as some of the dialogues like ‘Ek Chutki Sindoor’ and ‘Picture Abhi Baaki Hai Mere Dost’ became a huge hit. These dialogues are still very popular.

For the first time, he has donned the hat of a screenwriter and lyricist for the Hindi version of such a topnotch 3D animation film as Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book made in Hollywood though he worked as creative director for an animation film named Jumbo in 2008 and co-wrote the screenplay of Blue, the first Indian film about an underwater adventure. He is full of excitement also because his dialogues have been voiced by Priyanka Chopra, Nana Patekar, Irrfan Khan, Shefali Shah and Om Puri.

As a kid, I was captivated by the adventures of Mowgli and other characters in the animated world of forests. Obviously, it’s a great opportunity for me to write the Hindi dialogues of The Jungle Book. I have penned the dialogues and lyrics keeping the Indian audience in mind. – Screenwriter Mayur Puri

What he found the most challenging about his work in the Hindi version of The Jungle Book is penning Hindi songs for the film. He had to make sure that the songs would resonate with today’s children and teens. He hopes that the audience will feel a strong connect with Mowgli through his dialogues and lyrics which are replete with humor in the Indian context.

The screenwriter of Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, a 2015 Bollywood blockbuster, is none other than Mayur Puri. He founded a storytelling institute for young children named Story Circus. Currently Mayur is working on his directorial debut film alongside keeping a watch on the countdown for the release of The Jungle Book in India.

Neel Sethi, an 11-year-old Indian-American boy from New York, plays the human character Mowgli in Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book. It is his debut film. Read more about Neel Sethi. – IndianEagle

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The leading ladies of Indian politics are always ahead of their male peers. Sonia Gandhi, President of the Indian National Congress, has already got a temple dedicated to her in Telangana. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was the brand face of relief materials distributed to the victims of Chennai floods. She will soon be immortalized through consecration of a temple in her honor at a whopping cost of INR 50 lakh. Smriti Irani, the HRD Minister, is being referred to as the Goddess Durga of Indian Parliament for her recent fiery speech on the JNU fiasco. Wait! West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee does not lag behind them.

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee proved to be a dark horse in the race with them. A Bengali film on her life, political career, struggles and triumphs is all set to hit the screens in April 2016. Titled Baghini (Tigress), the film will be released before the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal to highlight Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, achievements, initiatives and image.

“The film on CM Mamata Banerjee will depict an inspirational story of Bengal’s iron lady from her childhood till historic rise to political power. The film Baghini is aptly titled since she is known for her unflinching determination and straightforward attitude. It is primarily meant to send a message across the nation that any woman of substance like her can reach dizzying heights of power and success in any walk of life,” said director Nehal Dutta during the trailer launch.

The makers of the film Baghini deny any sort of similarity between CM Mamata Banerjee and the protagonist of the film by saying that it is not based on but inspired by her life and career. However, their denial seems to be invalid from the trailer in which the main character resembles Bengal CM in appearance.

Ruma Chakraborty, who plays the protagonist Indira Banerjee in Baghini, sports a humble appearance and a simple look like that of Mamata Banerjee. The trailer shows Ruma Chakraborty wearing white cotton saris and a pair of chappals (slippers). Ruma Chakraborty has already essayed the role of Mamata Banerjee in two Bengali plays on the latter. She is excited to play the same in reel.

Producer Ajitesh Mondal says that neither CM herself nor her party was approached for any inputs during the research. The story, the plot and the character: all are based on the information sourced from different public domains. That’s why he prefers calling it a ‘non-political’ film on women empowerment with an inspirational message for the women of India.

The political career of Mamata Banerjee is full of controversies including her rigid opposition to the construction of Tata Nano’s manufacturing unit in Bengal, her objection to the selection of Pranab Mukherjee for the presidential seat, her diplomatic differences with the ruling party in Center, and likes. However, both the director and the producer deny showing anything controversial in the film Baghini on Bengal CM.

The shooting of the film on CM Mamata Banerjee is almost over. The makers plan to hold a special screening for the CM and her party before its public release in April.

Travel Beats is a fast-growing digital news portal by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization. Travel Beats publishes the latest news and stories about India, USA, Canada, aviation, tourism and NRIs.

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The Washington DC South Asian Film Festival, a three-day cultural extravaganza, came to an end with the award ceremony, yesterday. The most engaging Washington DC event concluded with lots of happy notes for the Indian films which stole the show with a mixed audience of Americans and Indian Americans. Inaugurated by Frank Islam, a renowned Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the DCSAFF 2015 awarded some of the Indian films, their directors and actors in different categories. Indian Eagle lists the winners of the Washington DCSAFF 2015 below:

A moment of pride for the Bengali community at home and abroad! Kadambari starring the National Award winning actress Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead won the Best Film Award at the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival yesterday. Directed by renowned filmmaker Suman Ghosh, Kadambari is a take on the indefinable relationship of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and his elder sister-in-law within the confines of the Jorasanko Thakurbari in Kolkata.

Titled after the Bard of Bengal’s sister-in-law, Kadambari, who was his muse, the film is the first celluloid adaptation of the stories interpreting and misinterpreting the relationship of an artist and his muse. Kadambari was screened at the Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival 2015 in June and elicited a mixed response from the audience in Hyderabad, India. Filmmaker Suman Ghosh is an Economics professor at Florida Atlantic University.

Of the Indian films screened at the 4^th Washington DC South Asian Film Festival, Chaitanya Tamhane won the Best Director Award for his debut film Court. The National Award winning Marathi film, Court is India’s official submission for the Oscars 2016 in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Based on a real life story, it is a critical commentary on the Indian judicial system and how it affects the lives of common men. The first premiere of Court was held at the 71^st Venice International Film Festival 2014. It has been felicitated with awards and honors at 18 international film festivals across the globe.

Rough Book by actor-director Ananth Mahadevan is awarded in the Best Story category at the DCSAFF 2015. Rough Book, a slice of life, highlights some critical issues with the contemporary education system in India through the eyes of a physics teacher. The protagonist is essayed by critically acclaimed actress Tannishtha Chatterjee whose Angry Indian Goddesses was the first runner up at the recently held Toronto International Film Festival.

The Washington DC South Asian Film Festival felicitated eminent actor-director Aparna Sen with a Special Achievement Award. The opening night of this prestigious Washington DC event saw screening of her Saari Raat (All Night Along) starring her daughter Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead. The film depicts how a stormy night changes the life of a newly married couple during a vacation. Saari Raat was first premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival 2015. Aparna Sen is one of the few who worked with legendary Satyajit Ray in Indian Cinema.

Kishor Kadam, who played the protagonist in search of his biological family after the character was picked as a foundling from the street and brought up by a poor family in the Marathi film Partu, won the Best Actor award. Partu is directed by Indian-American filmmaker Nitin Adsul. Partu was titled the Best Film in the audience award category.

However, it is Konkona Sen Sharma who stole the show at the Washington DC South Asian Film Fest this year. She won the crown of the Best Actress for her title role in Kadambari.

Check List of Indian Films Screened at Washington DCSAFF 2015

We at Indian Eagle congratulate the winners of the 4^th Washington DC South Asian Film Festival and rejoice in their success!

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