~ Amar Colony ~
Absurd Drama
Quietly, a slum lives in the hills..
where a wheelchair-bound mother with her son, a pregnant woman with her absent husband and an elderly couple with their grandson live and hide their stories of oppression behind the façade of their building called Amar Colony.
The disabled mother demands respect for her beloved pigeon. Caught in the maze of loneliness, the pregnant woman finds her escape in a tomato. When paranoia strikes an elderly woman who places her faith in Lord Hanuman, she battles it with a mace.
'Amar Colony' is life itself with its psychological conundrums, its scandals, its politics. A surreal and absurdist take on isolation and connection: fantasy meeting cold reality. Its inhabitants embody a multigenerational humanity, bound together in a limited space. They meet, talk, they share secrets and meals, they love each other, hate each other, believe in god and refuse to die.
Reviews
"A haunting debut...
Makes a profound comment on the human condition."
- Namrata Joshi (Screen International)
"Heralds the advent of a filmmaker
endowed with the ability to see beyond the surface of things...
A meticulously crafted, hypnotic film that is firm
in a deliberate rhythm..."
"A satire on mankind.
A delicate, rich and unique portrait of an exotic community
that in fact represents all of us."
- Malaika Bova, (POFF)
"Almost everyone is trapped,
not merely by the bricks and walls of Amar Colony,
but also metaphorically. "
- Kaveree Bamzai (The Open Magazine)
"Debunks the show of desire through a gendered or moral lens.
There is not a single dull moment..."
- Tanushree Ghosh (Money Control)
"Daring, picturesque and inhabited by characters
bursting with life energy.
Taboo-breaking in many ways."
- Marina D Richter (Asian Movie Pulse)
"A strikingly original Indian debut.
Opens the crevices in which we all hide the vices. A dirty gem!"
- Livan Garcia-Duquesne (D Movies)
"Chauhan should be applauded for his boldness and courage
in tackling a topic that is often quietly pushed aside in India."
- Asian Culture Vulture
"The film breaks a new ground in Indian cinema
for its sheer uncategorisability.
A powerfully understated narrative delving into universal themes of human longing, sadness, desire and death... "
- UK Asian Film Festival
"Poetic, candid and razor-sharp portrayal
of an overlooked piece of humanity.
You can watch this film more than once and still be guaranteed to discover new things. A unique gem. "
- MOOOV Film Festival, Belgium