We present the programme of the London Indian Film Festival which will take place from June 22 – 29, 2023 in London, and from June 23 – July 2, 2023 in Birmingham, UK.

Set in a dilapidated apartment block in a small hill town in the lower Himalayas, Amar Colony explores the intersecting lives of six tenants whose mundane existence unravels as they lose sight of their roles in society and give in to sexual desire. However, the emotional cost of their actions may prove too much. Siddharth Chauhan’s feature debut, which premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, is a striking and hypnotic drama that grapples with the conflict between community and the individual. (LIFF 2023)

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This live-your-dream documentary charts the journey of Manish, a charismatic teenage street dancer from Mumbai, who dreams of entering the world of ballet against the wishes of his struggling parents. He gains tutorship from a master Israeli ballet teacher who gives him the determination to keep going. But when he is pitted against another boy who’s got the attention of the Royal Ballet School in London, Manish realizes he must push himself to his physical limits if he has any chance to succeed. (LIFF 2023)

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Set during the bloody and violent partition of India in 1947, Deepa Mehta’s second film in her “elemental trilogy” is an extraordinary tale of politics, love and revenge.

As India teeters on the brink of self-rule, Lenny – an eight-year-old, polio-stricken Parsee girl – witnesses the deep divisions that are soon to ravage her country. Part of a wealthy, non-partisan family in Lahore (an Indian city soon to become the capital of Pakistan), Lenny is looked after by her loving nanny Shanta (Nandita Das), who is caught between the affections Hasan, a peace advocating Muslim (Rahul Khanna) and Dil Navaz, the charming Ice Candy Man (Aamir Khan).

As reports of violence begin to surface in radio broadcasts and the political tensions grow, Shanta’s life is thrown into turmoil as she tries to keep Lenny safe, while the effects of the impending partition bring devastation to communities. (LIFF 2023)

Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi give superb performances as two unhappily married women living in Delhi who fall in love in Deepa Mehta’s powerful melodrama.

Radha (Shabana Azmi) is unwavering in her devotion to her husband, Ashok (Kulbushan Kharbanda), despite their passionless arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Ashok’s brother Jatin (Jaaved Jaaferi) has brought home his new wife, Sita (Nandita Das), but is unwilling to give up his relationship with his Chinese girlfriend. Gradually, a slow-burning love blossoms between the two women.

Loosely based on Ismat Chughtai’s short story “Lihaaf” (“The Quilt”), which became the subject of an obscenity trial in India in 1942, Fire, the first of Deepa Mehta’s ‘Elements’ trilogy, was the subject of violent protests in India, with extremists hurling Molotov cocktails at the screens. It remains an intensely powerful and beautifully acted romance, which kick-started a national conversation about queer rights in India. (LIFF 2023)

Max and Min are breaking up, and the future home of their darling cat Meowzaki (named after Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki) hangs in the balance. While navigating their separation and heartbreak, both embark upon vastly different but equally impactful journeys. Catnip for hopeless romantics, this effervescent, crowd-pleasing drama by N Padmakumar (A Billion Colour Story) premiered to great success at Busan International Film Festival. (LIFF 2023)

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Ace Bhatti stars as a dutiful husband and loving father whose life falls apart when decades of festering secrets are exposed, and he’s forced to face up to who he really is. Isher Sahota’s The Effects of Lying is a delightfully chaotic comedic drama about a family trying to hold it together as their world begins to crumble. The stellar British Asian cast also includes Laila Rouass, Navin Chowdhry and Shaheen Khan, as well as the Harry Potter franchise’s Mark Williams. (LIFF 2023)

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Based on a short story (Golpo Boliye Tarini Khuro) by the legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray, The Storyteller tells the delightful tale of a wealthy businessman who hires a storyteller to regale him with stories to help get over his insomnia. But as their relationship unfolds, the possibility that both men harbour ulterior motives slowly begins to surface. World premiering at the Busan International Film Festival and with a star cast including Paresh Rawal, Adil Hussain, Tanishtha Chatterjee and Revathy Asha, The Storyteller is a witty and timeless fable celebrating the work of the master storyteller, Satyajit Ray. (LIFF 2023)

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Nisha Pahuja’s film deals with the aftermath of a brutal crime. In Jharkhand, India, a 13-year-old girl was abducted and assaulted by three men. Her father, a poor rice farmer, goes to the police, but refuses the solution they offer. Instead, against the wishes of his community, he seeks legal redress to the crime. Winning multiple awards at film festivals across the world including Toronto and Palm Springs, To Kill a Tiger shows how one family’s strength can overcome the most heinous injustice and force a social reckoning that will reverberate throughout society. (LIFF 2023)

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– Too Desi Too Queer –

A young man comes to meet his dying father for the confrontation of his life. (LIFF 2023)

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On a cloudy melancholy evening Myra, a visual artist experiences an overwhelming surge of emotions. Hinged between past and present she tries to make sense of reality around her. (LIFF 2023)

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While visiting the adoptive family of her eight-year-old biological son, Tara overcomes the hesitation of his parents to relay advice she gathered from growing up as a queer outcast. (LIFF 2023)

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An emotional standoff takes flight as two immigrant queer teens navigate that fuzzy feeling in your stomach, all whilst learning how to skateboard. (LIFF 2023)

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Discovering Kali – 25 years of the Legendary Club by Matt Mahmood Ogston – 40 mins | English

The legendary Club Kali’s 25 year history and heritage is celebrated through the eyes of its founders, performers, and attendees in this roaring documentary. (LIFF 2023)

– Short Films –

Valentine’s Day. Two young people looking for love meet in a Love Hotel for their second date. Girl seems nervous. Boy seems forward. We’ve all seen this a million times before, right? Wrong. (LIFF 2023)

Kiran, once a happily married independent business owner is now the full time carer of her elderly mother who is suffering from dementia. In the throws of routine and repeating calls for help, Kiran breaks. (LIFF 2023)

Set in the mid ’90s, Indi charts the world of emigre mother, Sheeru, and her British born son Indi, who dreams of playing professional football. (LIFF 2023)

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When Nik auditions for a radical retelling of the British Asian classic ‘East is East’, he soon begins to wonder if everyone around him is also stuck in the past. (LIFF 2023)

Tracing a love story through an Indian couple’s migration to Britain in the 1970s. Excerpts from a series of letters exchanged between the pair across continents are performed by the letter-writers themselves. (LIFF 2023)

A young man discovers his Papaji (Grandad) has died watching porn on the eve of his surprise birthday party…(LIFF 2023)

In Taliban controlled Afghanistan, Laili walks into a Chadari store in Kabul to buy her first full body veil from a Talib shopkeeper and face a new future. (LIFF 2023)

Three British Asian siblings find themselves in remote Bulgaria where their father is suddenly taken ill. Once in this foreign land an unexpected incident forces them to deal with a truth none of them are ready for. (LIFF 2023)

For more information, please visit: https://londonindianfilmfestival.co.uk/