By: Mohnish Singh
Popular Bollywood star Abhay Deol, whose filmography includes such notable films as Socha Na Tha (2005), Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), and Dev D (2009) to name a few, has joined the advisory board of Bandra Film Festival.
For the unversed, Bandra Film Festival, a collaboration of Filmkaravan and YouTube, is a platform to showcase films made by prolific filmmakers in the past years, emerging talent, and innovative content creators.
The films can be viewed by all, on the Bandra Film Festival YouTube Channel, without any cost. Furthermore, the festival has tied up with Milaap to extend financial support to films and filmmakers in these challenging times.
Abhay Deol, who along with Filmkaravan has produced the film What are the Odds? on Netflix, is elated to be on the advisory board of the Bandra Film Festival. Talking about it, he said, “It has always been difficult for independent films and documentaries to reach out to the masses, even though things have evolved now in the content space with so many digital and OTT players entering the market. I think the Bandra Film Festival will be a fabulous platform for independent filmmakers to showcase their work and reach out to a wide audience base. I am happy to be on board with Filmkaravan, who I believe have been pushing the envelope with a wide range of narratives. Their approach towards backing a good story and striving for inclusiveness is commendable. As for me, I have in my own way too tried backing the underdogs and the unconventional.”
He went on to add, “BFF is striving towards an eco-system that enables growth not just in spirit but also in form. The platform is designed to bring together a wide array of subjects from around the world and give an opportunity to filmmakers to showcase their work but it will also work closely with Milaap to orchestrate a fundraiser, extending financial support to the makers. This to my mind is literally walking the talk and never explored before, at least in the sub-continent.”
On the film front, Deol next stars in Bounty Hunter. He will also be seen in a Tamil film called Idhu Vedhalam Sollum Kadhai.
