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Canada Newsline SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 | The Indian Eye 40

Raj Kapoor’s Awaara is free at TIFF 2024

MANSI M. crime to support his impoverished
mother. He seeks to marry a child-
Toronto, ON
hood sweetheart, who unfortunately
he World premiere screening — for Raj — is studying law under
of 4K restoration AWARA the very same judge.
Tat the Toronto International Many melodramatic twists and
Film Festival (TIFF) commemo- turns of fortune ensue, alongside
rates the 100th anniversary of di- rousing musical numbers, including
rector Raj Kapoor’s birth in 1924. the popular song “Awāra Hoon,”
The film saw its birth in 1951 and with passionate but palatable mes-
Raj Kapoor directs and stars in this sages of socialist reform with pas-
recently restored Bollywood classic, sionate but palatable messages of
which threads messages of socialist socialist reform threaded through-
reform among its musical numbers out the plot.
and Charlie Chaplin homages, and is A highly influential classic of
often considered to be the greatest Charlie Chaplin in creating this tale wrongly convict a man of rape. This Bollywood cinema, Awara was nom-
film by “The Greatest Showman of about a privileged judge played by sets off a chain of tragic events and inated for the Grand Prize at the
Indian Cinema.” his father Prithviraj Kapoor. His leads the judge to cast his pregnant 1953 Cannes Film Festival.
As star and director of the crime father’s presumptions that morali- wife out of this house for adultery. The film will be screened free to
drama, Kapoor drew inspiration ty is hereditary and that “criminals Years later, her son Raj (Raj the public on Friday, September 13
from the Little Tramp persona of are born to criminals” leads him to Kapoor) has reluctantly turned to at TIFF Lightbox at 5:30 pm.

Seven Days — A tale of freedom and struggle

MANSI M she has already planned that she will
return to Iran to continue to fight for
Toronto, ON
the people, for their rights and free-
li Samadi Ahadi’s film Seven dom even though it meant returning
Days at the Toronto Interna- to her prison cell.
Ational Film Festival (TIFF) is “I’ve been acting for 30 years, but
based on a true story, a narrative of when I read the script and knew I was
struggle, human rights, suffering and going to be in the film, I actually felt
freedom. that this was the first time that I’m
“I’ve been making films for 53 going to act,” says Vishka Asayesh,
years. But this movie, it’s not about the lead actress. “I was very nervous
filmmaking, it’s about values and as I knew I was going to have an in-
gives possibilities to people. Script ternational audience and accepting a
was quite hard but I had a wonderful A still from the film role as hard as this one in which I had
team,” said Ahadi at the screening of to represent this courageous woman
his film at Scotiabank theatre at TIFF. who was in prison in Iran and fighting
The film tells the story of 46 years for human rights, women’s rights. It
old Human Rights activist Maryam was a huge responsibility for me.”
(Vishka Asayesh) who has spent “Vishka’s work her attentiveness
the last six years in prison. She has to work and detail was very good,” said
been granted a rare seven-day med- Ahadi praising the actor’s work ethic.
ical leave and during this period, her “I fell in love with the script, this
brother Nima (Sina Parvaneh) and story because it was more than just a
her husband Behnam (Majid Bakh- story,” said Bakhtiari who plays the
tiari) have devised a daring plan to role of Maryam’s husband in the film.
smuggle Maryam out of Iran and re- “It was a huge responsibility taking
unite her with her family. Maryam’s on this role and I worked with a lot of
long-suffering partner and their chil- fear. Fear was my companion. There
dren, now living in exile in Germany, were mornings when I woke up and
are preparing for a last-minute, clan- told myself ‘Will I be able to do this.
destine trip to Turkey, where they Will I be able to take this responsibil-
hope Maryam will find them. ity to play this husband of this pow-
Maryam seeks the help of un- erful woman?’ Vishka is incredible.
derground escape networks that be- I’ve learned a lot from her.”
gins with a treacherous two-day hike Lead actor Actors Vishka Asayesh with her co-star Written by Rasoulof, the film is
through snow-covered mountains. Vishka Asayesh Majid Bakhiari about sacrifice, struggle for human
She is reunited with her family, yet rights and the power of family ties.

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