MUMBAI: Writer-director Shonali Bose’s award-winning Indian film Amu will be released theatrically in the US on 25 May, 2007 at New York City’s Cinema Village and ImaginAsian.
The film goes on to open in Los Angeles on 15 June at the Laemmle Music Hall and the Fallbrook, with additional cities to be announced.
Received with critical acclaim during its Canadian and Indian theatrical runs, Bose’s feature film debut presents a contemporary and politically volatile tale of a young Indian-American woman’s search for the truth about her past.
Hailed by director Mira Nair as “courageous, honest, compelling,†Bose’s film comes to the US after its controversial run in India, where it was censored for its brave indictment of the Indian government’s role in the Delhi riots that followed the 1984 assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Sikhs.
The film, moreover, was given an “A†rating – roughly the equivalent of an “R†rating in the US – by the regulatory board of India. For its Indian theatrical release, five cuts were made pertaining to dialogue that criticized the government’s role in the riots. In order to be broadcast on television, the filmmakers would have been required to remove three key scenes – rendering the storyline meaningless.
Bose’s previous film credits include the narrative short films The Gendarme is Here and Undocumented, and a feature-length documentary Lifting the Veil.
Amu has screened at film festivals worldwide, earning numerous awards and honors, including two National Awards of India, for Best English Language Film and Best Director.
