Delicately crafted, both in story and visual style, this beautiful, emotional tale explores the unusual alliance between an elderly Indian woman (with a irrational fear of Africans) and a South African orphan in post-Apartheid South Africa. Based on Luthra’s earlier short, which won over 40 international awards including an Oscar nomination.
Pahuja goes behind-the-scenes at the Miss India Pageant and the Hindu fundamentalist movement to capture the tension between traditional and modern perspectives toward women in today’s India. A timely expose on the fundamental contradictions of a country in transition.
This striking film by first-time director Gurvinder Singh uses exquisite cinematography and an unusual cast of characters to portray a day in the life of a rural Punjabi family facing the demolition of their village. A worthy tribute to the legend of Indian cinema, the late Mani Kaul, who was executive producer on the film.
