Tired of Harold and Kumar? Want a desi film that asks more than “Where’s the Party, Yaar?” You’re in luck if you live in NY, because ImaginAsian Theater is screening Kaya Taran tonight at 7pm, followed by a discussion with the Director, Shashi Kumar. From the website (thanks Saurav!):
<
blockquote> The film straddles two traumatic events in recent Indian history: the 1984 anti-Sikh carnage following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the anti Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002…The film essentially deals with the dilemma of identity in a multicultural society that, every so often, turns volatile. Many aspects of the highly charged contemporary discourse find resonances in the film: the religious divide, the tyranny of the majority, the issue of religious conversions, the alienation of tribals from their hereditary land.[link]
Kaya Taran won the Aravindan Puraskaram award in 2004. If the description above sounds a bit heavy, check out the cast! The 100% fresh Bandit Queen stars:
The 107-minute-long film…is based on the Malayalam writer N. S. Madhavan’s short story titled “When Big Trees Fall”, set in the background of the anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The cast includes Seema Biswas, Angad Bedi, Neelambari Bhattacharya and Neetha Mohindra.[link]
TODAY, 7pm, @ImaginAsian Theatre, 239 59th Street NY, NY 10022.
I am not yet tired of Harold and Kumar. I find the brand of humor espoused therein both priceless and timeless. Indeed, I have been practicing saying “Thank you, come again” with sufficiently ironic subcontinental inflection in case I should ever find myself physically or verbally assaulted by racist extreme sports practitioners at 24-hour establishments such as Duane Reade.
I am also still unsure as to precisely where the party is at present. I have sent in many inquiries to the appropriate experts, but received no response from said parties. I would welcome any and all guidance as to the whereabouts of the party in question, as my ‘groove’ requires ‘getting on’ forthwith.
Thank you.
A little more advance notice next time please =)
I wish we would be in NY to see this today. MM….no chnace antime soon. Hope I can find it on dvd or something soon.
Thanks for the tip. i stopped by and watched the film, excellent. i had also seen Final Solution at last years South Asian Film Festival, and for anyone who liked Kaya Taran, definetly check that out.
I’m really sorry about the short notice Sonia.
Vik, please review for us! I couldn’t make it, so I’d like to know what y’all thought.