Filmmaker Hansal Mehta's reality drama "Aligarh" will be closing the 2016 Dallas/Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival (DFW SAFF) on Sunday. And the director is elated over his film, dwelling on the stigma around homosexuality, being screened on foreign shores.
"#Aligarh is the closing film late tonight (IST) at DFW South Asian Film Festival, Dallas. Show sold out. Excited," Mehta tweeted on Sunday.
With "Aligarh", Mehta has tried to unfold a chapter on gender issues in India on the silver screen. The film touches upon how homosexual people conceal their true selves for the sake of the society.
The film is based on the real life incident of doctor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job as a professor because of his sexual orientation. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao.
The film was screened at the 20th Busan International Film Festival and 59th BFI London Film Festival. It opened the 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
Set in a town in Uttar Pradesh from which the film takes its name, "Aligarh" will release in India on February 26.
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DFW SAFF, which rolled off on February 19 with "Miss India America", screened some of cinematic gems like "I Say, Bhallaji" - short feature; "The Backward Class" - documentary, "Dhanak" - feature film and "Amma Y Appa" - documentary feature.
The opening night of the festival took place at Perot Museum in downtown Dallas. It is currently being held at Angelika Film Center in Plano.