The actor will leave for Chicago on September 16.
The theme of the film festival was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Indian cinema, with focus on women filmmakers.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite 2024 films that he watched at film festivals held in Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and India.
The festival's People's Choice Award, voted by the audience, is a strong indication of films that can eventually be nominated and even win Oscars. Twelve of the last 15 People's Choice winners have received Best Picture Oscar nominations.
Aseem Chhabra lists his favourite films, most of them shown at international film festivals held virtually (Berlinale and Rotterdam), hybrid (Toronto) or physical (Cannes and Venice).
'One is not allowed to smoke on the sets of a Hollywood film even during a break.' 'When I asked an assistant to suggest some place where I could light a cigarette, he recommended the bad boys' corner -- where Jack Nicholson smoked.' 'However, I hesitated.' 'But when I was heading back to my chair after the shot, Jack Nicholson asked me if I wanted to join him for a smoke. We had a long conversation over cups of cappuccino.'
'I don't know how long cinema will survive.'
Founder Shilen Amin tells Arthur J Pais how far the South Asian International Film Festival has come since its inception 10 years ago
The sixth edition of the South Asian International Film Festival kicks off.
Here's a look at the Bollywood representation at this year's TIFF.
Check out the impressive line-up at the International Film Festival of South Asia.
It was heartening to see so many women -- young and old, many in hijab and burqa shaking their bodies, raising their arms and singing with complete abandonment.
The South Asian International Film Festival celebrates 10 years of showcasing independent cinema.
Aseem Chhabra's Top 10 Films/ Series from TIFF 2024 includes films that he watched for the first time in Toronto. The films were impressive due to their rigor, passion, unique storytelling style and sometimes exploring the vulnerable sides of big name stars.
Aseem Chhabra picks Indian and other South Asian gems at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Let's revisit the landmark women and moments from India's Miss World history.
When mainstream Hindi cinema is preoccupied with romance, comedy, horror and action, stories about sisters and brothers are very rare. Vasan Bala has made a first-of-its-kind film where the leads play sister and brother, notes Aseem Chhabra.
'We didn't expect the film to be recognised at this level; we focused on making an honest and simple film.' 'We didn't have any expectations even like being appreciated at festivals.'
'Not only the poor in India want sons, but even in the Indian community in the US and Canada. The more educated they are, the more access they have to money and use of technology in gender choice.'
Harami is described as a 'hard-hitting, visually striking street saga of youth crime and broken destinies, love and redemption'.
Iram Haq's What Will People Say is a deeply relatable story of family values at odds with a modern culture.
India is shining, although I will argue that it is a temporary acceptance until India once again makes a mega-successful film like RRR or another beautiful, moving, documentary like The Elephant Whisperers, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Monali bagged the Best Actress award at the South-Asian International Film Festival in Washington DC, making her the first Bollywood singer to have won an award for acting.
'We don't know when things will get back to normal, even if the lockdown gets over.'
'We'll certainly have Hollywood productions, so why wouldn't we have Bollywood?'
'Acting, by definition, is a portrayal of a character other than oneself.' 'If every role is to be played only by someone answering to that precise description, most professional actors -- of all ethnicities and genders -- would be out of a job,' observes Indira Kannan.
Mira's films are alive, rocking and so true to the reality I know. They are gifts that I keep revisiting, and I cannot wait for what more she will share with us, notes Aseem Chhabra.
How many of the 354 films Aseem Chhabra watched in 2017 have you seen?
The eighth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival kicked off on Wednesday to a grand start with a bevy of authors, poets, Nobel Laureates along with some Bollywood celebrities, trooping in to the pink city to participate in one of Asia's biggest literary jamboree.
In analysing census data from 2007-2011, researchers found that the at-birth sex ratios of Asian Americans are the same as white Americans. Arthur J Pais reports
Aseem Chhabra gives us the top films that enriched his year.
Siddharth Chauhan, winner of the Satyajit Ray Award
'The richness of Buddhism makes it possible for us to create these stories and to interpret them.'
'The nicest thing is that it is not my film.' 'People bring their own stories and life histories to the film.'
'If you don't have children, that's also a problem.' 'There's no right way to live because everybody has an opinion about your personal life, and how you should live.' 'You have to listen to them, unless you can pick a fight with everyone.'
Reticent author Cyrus Mistry on Saturday beat off stiff competition from five other writers to become the fourth winner of the $50,000 DSC prize for South Asian literature for his book "Chronicles of a Corpse Bearer".
Indian American teen Sia Parikh, who made her debut on the Cannes red carpet, talks about her life journey.
'If you look at peacekeeping right now, it is fraught with accusations of sexual abuse or peacekeepers involved in deals that are outside their purview, human trafficking.' 'When a contingent of women walk through a camp, the women in the camp and the children respond to them, talk to them. Women are more open to talking about sexual violence and domestic violence to other women.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances