India’s Clapstem Entertainment, led by director-producer Girish Malik and producer Amardeep S. Reen, has completed film “Band of Maharajas,” which is set for a market screening at Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM).
Malik’s directorial debut, ecological drama “Jal” (2013), was in Busan’s New Currents competition. His sophomore feature, refugee and sports themed “Torbaaz” (2020), headlined by Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, was a Netflix original film.
His third film “Band of Maharajas” is the story of three clueless young folk musicians from a remote border village in India who undertake an unplanned and unusual journey to Pakistan that changes their lives and music. The film has the tagline “While countries divide us, music unites us.”
Next up is docu-drama “Om Namah Shivay” that commences production in March. The film will delve into the Eastern philosophy of how Hindu god Shiva and the mantra Om Namah Shivay can bring harmony across the world and how the power of this mantra has impacted the Western world and world events. The narrative will straddle modern science and ancient Indian scriptures.
“Punsari” follows how the efforts of one man led to his village being declared a ‘model village’ in India and also explores the ongoing efforts to bring back villagers from cities to their villages.
“Massakali” aka “White Pigeon” tells the story of Taj, a young pigeon handler caught in changing times in the historic city of Lucknow where pigeon racing and courtesans were once the preserve of the royalty.
“Accidental Love” sees Clapstem partner with noted Singaporean producer Chan Gin Kai, for an unconventional love story set in Scotland.
Rising stars Ishwak Singh (SonyLIV show “Rocket Boys”) and Kirti Kulhari (Disney+ Hotstar series “Human”) will star in some of these projects.
“These are exciting times in Indian cinema. The audience is warming up to new and unconventional content. It gives us a lot of confidence to take risks and make stories that were earlier considered unconventional,” Malik told Variety.
“India is a treasure chest of amazing stories, and we have always been driven to tell rich and unusual stories, artistically, that appeal to both masses and classes,” added Reen. “We believe stories have no boundaries, and if they are made with passion and honesty, they have the power to touch the heart of people across the world.”
“Band of Maharajas” screens at the EFM on Feb. 17.