Event Details

A film festival from and about South Asia  

Asia Society India Centre returns with the second edition of Parda Faash, a two-day festival of films from and about South Asia, to be showcased together in Mumbai on 26-27 April 2025. Developed in collaboration with Film Southasia (the premier subcontinental non-fiction film biennial held in Kathmandu, Nepal) and NCPA, the festival brings together contemporary, non-fiction films from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The selected works coalesce around a shared theme: The Poetry of Presence.

Parda Faash aims to spotlight and celebrate the work of independent filmmakers and artists from around the subcontinent — the unique voices of young storytellers who believe in the transformative power of cinema in South Asia. Nine stunning films, hand-picked from Film Southasia ’24, offer a nuanced, moving portrait of South Asian identity in the present.

Parda Faash is free and open to the public. To attend the screenings, we request you to register your interest by filling out this form.

SCREENING SCHEDULE

DAY 1 | 10:45 am
WAGGING TALE, dir. Samagra Shah | 23 mins | Nepal 

The story of Rupak, who walks the streets of Kathmandu carrying 80 kgs of chicken bones every day with an unwavering mission: to feed the city’s street dogs. The film follows Rupak’s journey, highlighting themes of love, loneliness, and the special connection between him and his four-legged companions in whose eyes he finds a glimpse of what he’s looking for: a family to call his own.

DAY 1 | 11:20 am
TRANS KASHMIR, dir. Surbhi Dewan, S A Hanan | 61 mins | India 

For generations, the transgender women of Kashmir have worked as matchmakers and performers. But their gender, economic and socio-political realities make them some of the most vulnerable people in the world today. Offering an intimate glimpse into their unique culture, resilience, and beauty, this documentary chronicles their growing movement to secure basic human rights.

DAY 1 | 2:30 pm
SOMETIMES EVEN THE SHORE DROWNS, dir. Mahera Omar | 17 mins | Pakistan

Inspired by Rachel Carson’s 1955 book The Edge of the Sea, this short film is a cinematic ode to the myriad forms of marine life on the intertidal mudflats of Karachi. In and around mangrove forest creeks, amidst steaming vessels and a new skyline, the film takes you on a silent journey through a delicate wetland ecosystem on the shores of an industrial city that might soon disappear.

DAY 1 | 2:50 pm
HELLO GUYZZ, dir. Samiksha Mathur | 24 mins | India 

The film explores the life of a mother, wife, daughter who is also a TikTok and social media influencer. Based in a small town in West Bengal – Liluah – it aims to highlight how her social media engagement has a massive influence on her life- both in big and small ways.

DAY 1 | 3:30 pm
6-A AKASH GANGA, dir. Nirmal Chander Dhandriyal | 80 mins | India

Can a musician exist without an audience? To find an answer, the film enters 6-A Akash Ganga, where resides one of India’s most renowned classical musicians, a matchless guru—Annapurna Devi. Maestros waited for years for her to accept them as disciples. George Harrison, of the Beatles, sought special permission to listen to her musical practice. But in the mid-1950s, she vowed never to perform in an effort to save her marriage to the world-renowned musician, Ravi Shankar, who had grown insecure with the acclaim she was receiving. Her disciple, Nityanand Haldipur, cuts through the myths to tell her story. 

DAY 2 | 11:05 am
CHARDI KALA – AN ODE TO RESILIENCE, dir. Prateek Shekhar | 95 mins | India

Amidst the indescribable spirit of eternal optimism, the many acts of selfless service and articulate criticism; the film ‘Chardi Kala’ chronicles the year-long farmers protest in India in 2020-2021 and explores the embodiment of resilience, grace and dignity in the face of apathy.

DAY 2 | 12:50 pm
WHISPERS BY THE RIVER SHORE, dir. Saimur Rahman | 19 mins | Bangladesh

A compelling documentary that delves into the profound impacts of climate change on the lives of a family in the remote river island of Kurigram, Bangladesh. Through the lens of seven-year-old Rashedul and his resilient grandfather Amzad, the film explores the devastating consequences of recurrent floods, erosion, and displacement, painting a poignant picture of their struggle for survival and a better future.

DAY 2 | 2:10 pm
#GoHomeGota, dir. Sulochana Peiris | 51 mins | Sri Lanka

A look at Sri Lanka’s 2022 Aragalaya (struggle) protests from a movement building and mobilisation perspective and centres around interviews with several key core activists belonging to different ethnic, linguistic, and professional backgrounds. The leaders also discuss how they define and are working towards a “system change” which they envisioned to achieve through the movement.

DAY 2 | 4:05 pm
CINEMA PE CINEMA, dir. Vani Subramanian | 63 mins | India

Creating a memory-scape of some people whose lives touch or have been touched by single screen cinemas in India, the film is an exploration of the many complex relationships between the theatres, the movies and us.

Free entry on a first-come-first-served basis. NCPA Members will get preferential seating. Please register your interest by filling out this form.