Dev Benegal's 'Road Movie' at Toronto fest

Aug 27, 2009 IANS

New Delih, Aug 27 (IANS) Dev Benegal's much-talked about Hindi film "Road Movie", that has Abhay Deol and Tannishtha Chatterjee in lead roles, will be premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) starting Sep 10.

The film will be screened as part of Special Presentations at Winter Garden Sep 18.

Presented by The Indian Film Company (TIFC) in collaboration with Studio 18, "Road, Movie" is based on a Benegal screenplay that had made it to the prestigious L'Atelier selection of the Cannes Film Festival two years ago.

"We couldn't be more delighted and honoured that TIFF has chosen to premiere 'Road Movie' as a special presentation. The invitation is an endorsement of our vision to selectively back high quality international cinema," said Sandeep Bhargava, CEO of the advisory to TIFC, in a press statement.

Produced by Susan B. Landau and Ross Katz, the film is about Vishnu, a restless young man, who rejects his father's faltering hair oil business and hits the road with a travelling cinema. Colourful and full of unforgettable characters, the film celebrates India's open road and the pure love of movies.

It also stars actor-director Satish Kaushik. The film is slated to release here next year.

Benegal's directorial debut "English August" was hailed as a landmark in contemporary Indian cinema and had ignited a wave of independent Indian filmmakers. His second feature presentation "Split Wide Open" premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.