Indian film festival with feminist overtones opens in UK

The annual London Indian Film Festival (LIFF)has opened in London this weekwith strong feminist overtones.
"Parched",producedbyBollywood star Ajay Devgn and a tale of woman power set in the desert villages of India, opened the festival this year last evening.
Along with its director Leena Yadav, the film leads a rare list of seven films directed by women filmmakers from across the Indian sub-continent.
"It is important to support films like these so they are able to be showcased around the world," said Devgn, who was joined on the festival red carpet by daughter Nysa.
The festival, which celebrates independent cinema from across South Asia, also includes special programmes with Indian cinema icons like Sharmila Tagore and Kamal Haasan this year.

"We aim to showcase films that entertain but challenge and make one think about the many social issues happening in India today, and that includes many positive changes.

"... So many emerging Indian women filmmakers who are producing world-class films are giving their male counterparts a serious run for their money," said Cary Rajinder Sawhney, director of the festival.
Reflecting the linguistic diversity of UK's South Asian communities, the LIFF 2016 programme includes15 major languages with films from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
"We are delighted to support such an incredible festival which reveals the richness of South Asian culture and offers a wonderful platform for emerging talent," said Alka Bagri of the Bagri Foundation, an Indian-origin charity set up to support South Asian art and culture in the UK.

They are also the title sponsor of the festival, whichalso travels to Birmingham this year and will run until July 24.