The 2016 Dallas/Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival (DFW SAFF) is proud to present the North American premiere of Hansal Mehta’s “Aligarh” as its closing night film on Sunday, February 21 at 4 p.m. at the Angelika Film Center in Plano (Shops at Legacy).
The film is based on the true story of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was suspended from his job on charges of homosexuality because of his sexual orientation. He was the professor of Marathi at the Aligarh Muslim University. A sting operation was conducted by a TV channel, which showed him in an embrace with a rickshaw puller at his house inside the campus. After successfully appealing his suspension, he died because of “suspicious circumstances.” Veteran Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee plays the role of Siras, and Indian National Award-winning actor Rajkumar Rao plays the journalist in the film. The movie is now at the center of a public debate surrounding Section 377 of the Indian penal code, a 155-year-old law introduced during British colonialism criminalizing homosexuality.
“Aligarh is a very important film, a milestone in the history of Indian cinema that has started the much-needed conversation about how India treats a visible and yet often ignored minority group,” said director Hansal Mehta. “It is especially significant in the context of the gay rights activists and their struggles to remove Article 377 from the Indian Penal Code. We are proud that our North American premiere of this film will be in Dallas at a prestigious festival like DFW SAFF.”
Watch the trailer of the film HERE!
The festival, produced by JINGO Media, a NYC & Dallas-based PR & events boutique firm, will also showcase 12 award-winning shorts, documentaries and feature films that have been consciously-curated for the North Texas audience from Feb. 19th to the 21st at the Perot Museum in downtown Dallas and the Angelika Film Center in Plano. Filmmakers, actors, local celebrities & VIPs will walk the red carpet on opening night and add glamor to the festivities. In addition to film screenings, the festival will also include post-screening Q&A sessions, networking events and after parties.
Celebrities on the Red Carpet Include:
1.Suraj Sharma (Umrika, Life of Pi, Homeland, Million Dollar Arm)
2.Tiya Sircar (Miss India America, The Internship, Friends with Benefits, Vampire Diaries)
3.Meera Simhan (Miss India America, Anger Management, Date Movie)
4.Tanima Bhattacharya (Shackle)
5.Viveck Vaswani (Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Pathar Ke Phool, Rough Book)
