Two Anurag Kashyap films to screen at MIFF

The name of Anurag Kashyap features prominently at this year's Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) because not one but two of his films are to be screened at the festival that got going the other day (25 July, 2013). The films are Ugly and Vakratunda Mahakaya. Ugly, that has been inspired by real life events, will be a part of the Accent from Asia category along with Amit Kumar's Monsoon Shootout and Vakratunda Mahakaya (Twisted trunk, Big Fat Body), helmed by Punarvasu Naik. On the other hand, Vakratunda Mahakaya is set in the backdrop of the Ganapati festival of Mumbai that terrorists believe will be the best time for a bomb blast. Commenting on Naik's work, the MIFF said, "Mixing biting satire with humane social commentary, Twisted Trunk, Big Fat Body is Indian cinema as you've never seen it before. Part thriller, part drama, part blackly comic farce, Naik's film is a warm-hearted and clear-eyed take on an ascendant India trapped between the binds of tradition and the glittering lure of modernity." Another Indian film Powerless helmed by Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa will be screened under the category of Defying the Times: Activism on Film. The MIFF, which will be showcasing 310 films in all including 10 world premieres, will end on 11 August after three weeks.