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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MAY 29, 2026 | The Indian Eye 33

Neha Lohia’s ‘Hello Dad’ Draws

Emotional Response at Big Apple Film

Festival World Premiere in New York

NEERAJ DHAR of grief with everyday life, rather
than masking, hiding, or performing
New York, NY
emotional perfection.
he world premiere of Hello Adding to the emotional atmo-
Dad, a deeply personal short sphere of the evening, Lohia per-
Tfilm written and directed by sonally handed audience members
award-winning filmmaker Neha Lo- handmade miniature envelopes car-
hia, starring Emmy-nominated actor rying tiny “love notes” sealed with the
Tirlok Malik and Swiss actress Anki- words “Undying Love.” Inside each
ta Makwana, premiered to a packed envelope was a small handwritten
and emotionally moved audience at message intended as a keepsake and
the prestigious Big Apple Film Fes- quiet reminder of love, connection,
tival as part of its Women Filmmak- and remembrance. Guests deeply ap-
ers Showcase featuring eight films preciated the gesture, many carrying
directed by women storytellers from the notes home as mementos from
around the world. the night.
What unfolded inside the histor- At the heart of the film is a sim-
ic Village East by Angelika became ple but profound reminder: call the
far more than a film screening. It people you love while they are still
evolved into an intimate collective ry, love, ambition, work, and healing. father and how deeply real and famil- here. Express love openly. Do not
experience around grief, love, mem- The film stars Emmy-nominated iar the film felt to their lived experi- wait for a perfect moment.
ory, healing, and the enduring bond actor Tirlok Malik alongside actress ence. “I still call or text his phone” In the weeks leading up to the
between parents and children. Ankita Makwana in deeply intimate - Mrs. Monroe. “This helped me feel premiere, Hello Dad quietly evolved
Friends, artists, doctors, re- performances that audiences praised more connected to Dad,” said Domini into a larger cultural and emotion-
searchers, grief experts, filmmakers, for their tenderness, restraint, and During the post-screening Q&A, al conversation through a series of
authors, actors, models, influencers, emotional honesty. Malik, known for Neha took courage and shared her pre-launch collaborations, talks, and
and community leaders gathered his acclaimed body of work exploring inspiration behind this short film was social campaigns involving creators,
from across New York and beyond. loneliness, aging, immigration, and her own lived experience of losing her mental health experts, authors, and
Several guests traveled from Boston, Indian diaspora experiences, brings father and how, even 18 years later, thought leaders. Influencers and
Virginia, Canada, and other cities, quiet emotional depth to the role, grief has been constantly coexisting audiences participated in the viral
with some changing travel plans or while Makwana’s nuanced perfor- with life. Her vulnerability created a “Hello Dad…” campaign, sharing
making special arrangements and mance anchors the film’s emotional deeply emotional exchange with au- messages they wished to say to their
stopovers in New York just to attend journey with sincerity and grace. diences, many of whom stayed long fathers and loved ones.
this screening. Others arrived unan- Philanthropist Krisztina Geos- after the screening ended to share The film’s extended conversa-
nounced to surprise the filmmaker. its described the film as “extremely their own stories, reflections, and ex- tion around grief, emotional well-be-
The film’s emotional resonance beautiful” and reflected that it “cap- periences with loss. ing, and coexistence with loss includ-
sparked broader conversations tured the deeply human moments “People often feel pressured to ed collaborations and discussions
around mental health, emotional that are broadly unspoken.” Men let go,” Lohia shared during conver- with world-renowned psychiatrist
regulation, vulnerability, and heal- in the audience, including Good- sations around the film. “But per- Dr. Anna Yusim, resilience expert
ing. Audience members reflected on news Networks, Rev. Paul Sladkus, haps healing is not about letting go; and physician Dr. Eva Selhub, au-
the possibility that true healing may and CNN’s Eduardo Salazar Uribe, there is no need to erase memories, thor Kelly Ann Krzeczkowski, holis-
begin not by denying brokenness, but shared that the film left them deeply find replacements for love, or forget tic practitioner Dr. Jason Yuan, and
by gently acknowledging and carry- moved, with “lumps in their throat” those we lost. Perhaps it is learning podcaster and founder of Brown Girl
ing it honestly. and moments which made them re- how to continue the journey while Interrupting, Marya Kazmi.
The audience ranged from Gen flect on their own losses, and words carrying their presence differently, Together, these conversations
Z viewers to older generations, in- simply would not come. and coexisting with it.” explored new ways of understanding
cluding mother-daughter duos and Several women close to Lohia, Several audience members pri- grief, emotional regulation, mental
individuals carrying their own per- including the founder of Women vately shared with Lohia that they, health, healing, and the possibility of
sonal experiences with loss. Through- Funding the World, Jody Weiss, Dr. too, were living with silent grief af- carrying loss with tenderness rather
out the evening, tears, silence, hugs, Anna Suponya, and spiritual teacher ter losing a parent or loved one, and than shame.
reflection, and deeply emotional Aleta St. James, later sent emotion- that Hello Dad made them feel seen Guests attending the premiere
conversations filled the room. al voice notes reflecting on the ex- in ways they had not experienced also included actress Despina Mir-
Described by attendees as “del- perience and the memories the film before. Conversations throughout ou, singers Ashley Bautista, influ-
icate realism,” Hello Dad resonated stirred within them, and the work the night repeatedly returned to one encer Melissa Gallagher, Christine
for its gentle and deeply human por- that lies ahead of us as a collective. idea: grief does not always disappear, Mendes, Dr. Shweta Parmar, film-
trayal of grief; not as something to Singer Domini Monroe attend- and perhaps there is no need to force makers, artists, industry profession-
“fix” or “move on” from, but as some- ed the premiere with her mother and it to. Many reflected on the impor- als, and members of New York’s cre-
thing that can coexist with life, memo- shared reflections on losing her own tance of normalizing the coexistence ative, healing, and art communities.

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