Director Leena Yadav’s Parched is getting ready for its premiere in the Special Presentation Section of the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. Parched, which also is Ajay Devgn’s first international production, stars Tannishtha Chatterjee, Radhika Apte, Surveen Chawla and Adil Hussain. Set in rural India, the film follows the lives of three ordinary women who begin to break free from the century-old traditions.
Leena, who is currently in Toronto for the premiere, is thrilled with the support that the film has been receiving there. Praising the film, renowned film critic and the Artistic Director of TIFF, Cameron Bailey said, “With a bold visual confidence, Yadav combines the stark realism of Rajasthan’s hostile desert landscapes with a Bollywood palette, vibrant tones that celebrate the unleashing of the women’s repressed sensuality and dreams. Splendidly shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter (Titanic), Parched gradually accrues a feeling of grandeur — mirroring the way in which Yadav elevates these women’s stories, transforming her characters’ struggles into a stirring portrayal of liberation.” Bailey also took to twitter extending his welcome and tweeted, “@leenayadav Welcome! Looking forward to launching PARCHED at #TIFF15. http://tiff.net/festivals/festival15/specialpresentations/parched.”
Leena says that it’s indeed a great honour for the film to earn such high praise from Cameron, “I am honoured by Cameron’s warm welcome and look forward to start the journey of ‘Parched’ on this amazing platform that TIFF has given the film. I am nervous and excited all at once to see my film with a world audience on its premiere on the 12th September. Thank you Cameron Bailey for this.”
