A close friend and I were sitting in a crowded coffee shop in New York, discussing the newfound Western interest in all things Bollywood, when the idea for this film came to us — a singing contest set in a small town in New Jersey. We laughed as we outlined possible characters, and I realized that I REALLY wanted to see this movie. And so I decided to make it. Ironically, given my proximity to it, today I might be the only person incapable of really seeing THIS movie.
However, I do know that it wouldn’t embarrass me to ask people to spend 90 minutes of their life to see it. I believe that it is entertaining, that it rewards repeat viewings, and that it stays with the viewer long after the movie is over. And that makes me happy.
I also feel that it reflects my beliefs and my concerns. Issues of belonging, of defining “home,” of self-image — these are on the top of my mind. And the manifestation of these issues through a comedy, through songs, through characters that don’t normally populate cinema screens, seems like the appropriate way to both include my concerns in my work and make them invisible.
Perhaps most importantly, when I watch the film, the characters in the movie come alive for me. And just as I once breathed life into them, they now breathe life into me. And for that, I love this movie.
-Manish Acharya
Writer-director, Manish Acharya, is a multiple award winner from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film program. Along with a MFA in Film Directing, Manish also has degrees in Physics and Industrial Relations.
Before NYU, he was the founding member of a successful software company that went public in 1998. At NYU, Manish directed three short films. His film PARTNER won multiple awards for acting and editing, as well as the Carl Lerner Award for a Film with Social Significance.
His latest film, LOINS OF PUNJAB PRESENTS, has won the Best Feature Film award at the 65th Annual First Run Film Festival. Currently, Manish divides his time between Mumbai and New York. His interests include the art of seduction in seventies Bollywood movies, process flows in modern organizations, and disco dancing.
