Regional films to look forward to in 2014

The year 2013 saw several non-Hindi noteworthy films like 'The Good Road', 'Anumati'. A look at some of the promising fare that regional cinema has to offer this year

Last year saw content-driven cinema rise to the fore. Apart from The Lunchbox, Club 60 and Shahid, which represented the coming-of-age–of Bollywood, there were several other non-Hindi noteworthy films such as The Good Road, Anumati and Lucia. 2014 too seems to throw up some potential as far as regional cinema is concerned. HitList tells you what to look forward to this year …

'Yellow'

A still from 'Yellow'
Director: Mahesh Limaye
Language: Marathi
Out and about: As a producer, Riteish Deshmukh seems to know what he’s doing. After the unprecedented success — both critical as well as commercial — of Balak Palak, his next Marathi venture is based on a special child and her mother’s quest to make a winner out of her.

'Buno Haansh'

Dev and Srabanti Chatterjee
Director: Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Language: Bengali
Out and about: The director of the much-appreciated Antaheen (2009) is now helming another ambitious project. Starring Dev and Srabanti Chatterjee together for the first time, this film deals with the subject of syndicated crimes of the Bengali underworld.

'Apur Panchali'

Parambrata Chatterjee and Parno Mitra
Director: Kaushik Ganguly
Language: Bengali
Out and about: It created quite a flutter when it premiered at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) last year with Kaushik bagging the best director award. It’s based on the life of actor Subir Banerjee, who played Apu in Satyajit Ray’s much-acclaimed film, Pather Panchali (1955).

'Jatishwar'

Prosenjit in 'Jatishwar'
Director: Srijit Mukherji
Language: Bengali
Out and about: When Uttam Kumar essayed the role of poet Anthony Firingee back in 1968, he won the National Award for Best Actor. Almost half a century later, actor Prosenjit, who is otherwise busy with masala film projects, might just repeat the feat with his portrayal of the poet in this upcoming biopic.

'Postcard'

A still from 'Postcard'
Director: Gajendra Ahire
Language: Marathi
Out and about: After the accolades Anumati garnered last year, Gajendra Ahire’s next film takes The Lunchbox’s handwritten-note theme one step further. With the plot centred around three people whose lives are tied together through a network of incomplete letters, the film throws light on the often-ignored life of a postman.

'How Old Are You?'

A still from the film
Director: Rosshan Andrews
Language: Malayalam
Out and about: His last feature film, Mumbai Police, bravely touched upon the subject of homosexuality, while his next project is a satire dealing with bureaucracy and gender issues. Starring Kunchako Boban and Manju Warrier as the lead pair, the film is expected to make its point with a dash of humour.

'Antichrist'

A poster of 'Antichrist'
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery
Language: Malayalam
Out and about: Prithviraj, Fahadh Faasil and Indrajith will come together for the first time for this forthcoming horror flick. With the script being penned by National Award-winning PF Mathews, this cinematic endeavour is being touted as an unusual cinematic experimentation.

'Fandry'

A still from 'Fandry'
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Language: Marathi
Out and about: Undoubtedly one of the most awaited films of the year, this feature dwells on the dynamics surrounding the innocent love between a boy and a girl belonging to different castes. Manjule’s last directorial venture, Pistulya, fetched him a National Award.

'Painting Life'

A still from 'Painting Life'
Director: Bijukumar Damodaran
Language: Malayalam
Out and about: The National Award-winning director’s next project is about a filmmaker who is stuck in Chitkul, a village along the Indo-Tibetan border, during the shooting of his film. Known for his sensitive portrayal, the film starring Prithviraj in a pivotal role, is worth looking forward to.

'Velaiyilla Pattathari'

Dhanush and Amala
Director: Velraj
Language: Tamil
Out and about: Velraj was the cinematographer of the National Award-winning film Aadukalam and he turns director with this film starring Dhanush and Amala. Contrary to the usual love story fare, this upcoming film deals with youth-centric problems.

'Opentee Bioscope'

A still from 'Opentee Bioscope'
Director: Anindya Chattopadhyay
Language: Bengali
Out and about: Shoojit Sircar (of Vicky Donor and Madras Cafe fame) is the producer of this promising venture and the project features upcoming names like Riddhi Sen, Surangana and Rajatava Dutta. It is definitely among the most anticipated Bengali films this year.

'Qissa'

Irrfan Khan (left) in Qissa
Director: Anup Singh
Language: Punjabi
Out and about: This particular film, starring Irrfan Khan and Tillotama Shome, did the rounds of the festival circuit last year — winning appreciation for its unabashed take on gender issues. With the story set against the backdrop of India-Pakistan partition, the film is worth a dekko.

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