Epicenter NYC is a proud community media partner of the New York Indian Film Festival, which takes place June 20-22, 2025. To round up this year’s can’t-miss movies and connect them to broader trends in Indian entertainment, we interviewed festival director Aseem Chhabra. (Note: We have a limited number of free passes for Epicenter supporters. Email us asap at hello@epicenter-nyc.com for info. Learn more on becoming a supporter here!) Edited excerpts:
S. Mitra Kalita: What excites you most about this year’s New York Indian Film Festival?
Aseem Chhabra: It’s our 25th anniversary this year. Twenty-five years is a big milestone. When I look at other organizations that have been around for 25 years, I think, “Wow.” Then I remind myself, this is our 25th year too. The festival started in 2001 as a response to 9/11. Mayor Giuliani asked arts organizations to do events so that people could come out of their homes because everyone was afraid. Things have changed so much since then. We started as a festival for only Indian diaspora films, but now it’s a major festival of films from India and the diaspora. This year, we even have a Tamil film from Malaysia (“Simple Manusan”).
We have 48 films this year, including about 23 shorts and the rest are feature narratives and documentaries. These are brand-new films that have not been shown in the New York area until now, except for a restored version of Shyam Benegal’s “Manthan,” which is being shown as a tribute to the master who passed away last year. It’s a 4K restored version.
SMK: What trends or themes do you observe in this year’s selection?
AC: What excites me most is the terrific new storytelling. We have nine films by first-time debut filmmakers. We’ve been working with the Film Critics Circle of India, who judge these debut films. There are amazing stories, such as one about a woman in Jharkhand who works for an AI company (“Humans in the Loop”), and a documentary about widows of farmer suicides in Maharashtra trying to rebuild their lives (“Marching in the Dark”). Another highlight is “Kennedy” by Anurag Kashyap, which went to the Cannes Film Festival and hasn’t been shown here yet. It’s a terrific thriller starring Sunny Leone in one of her rare regular film roles.
SMK: Can you share some must-see recommendations?
- “Humans in the Loop” – about a woman working for an AI company in rural Jharkhand.
- “Marching in the Dark” – a documentary about widows in Maharashtra.
- “A Fly on the Wall” – a powerful documentary by Shonali Bose about assisted suicide after she was contacted by a friend of hers living in Zurich. What’s really remarkable about the film is that it’s not sad — there’s some of that — but there’s a lot of the human spirit where he cooks food and has parties at home; he’s accepted what he’s going through.
- “Village Rockstars 2” – an Assamese film and a sequel to the National Award-winning film, which was also India’s official Oscar entry.
- “The Fable” – our opening film, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival last year, set in the hill station of Uttarakhand with elements of magical realism.
SMK: What about the short films and documentaries?
AC: We have three short sections, plus four documentary shorts. One, “Babli by Night,” follows a forest officer who is a trans person and cross-dresses at night — a unique perspective given the masculine nature of his job. Another, “P For Paparazzi,” is about a Mumbai photographer who becomes friends with movie stars. These shorts often feature some of the best theater and film actors.
SMK: I love this festival because it gives us the chance to meet celebrities in intimate settings like parties, awards and talkbacks. Who are some notable guests and filmmakers attending?
AC: Anurag Kashyap, director of “Kennedy,” and his lead actor Rahul Bhat are attending. Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta is coming for “The Ancient,” directed by Suman Ghosh. In this film, Sharmila Tagore stars in her first Bengali film role in 14 years. The closing film, “Little Thomas,” is a charming story about a boy trying to bring his parents together. From that film, Rasika Dugal will also be present.
SMK: You frequent so many festivals and are a prolific commentator on global cinema. Are there any broader trends in Indian cinema you are seeing?
AC: Last year, something remarkable happened: an Indian film, “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia, was selected for the main competition at Cannes and won the Grand Prix. It traveled to several festivals and was well-received, though India did not select it as its official Oscar entry. Another film, “Cactus Pears,” opened at Sundance and won the Grand Jury Prize. It’s the first Marathi-language film at Sundance and tells a queer love story set in rural Maharashtra.
Epicenter is a proud media sponsor of the New York Indian Film Festival, which takes place from Friday, June 20 to Sunday, June 22 at the Village East by Angelika. We have a limited number of free tickets available for our supporters. If interested, please email us with your top two selections. Tickets for the general public can be purchased here.
