Ruchika Oberoi’s first film is surrounded by stories

Island City is yet another film that proves India is one of the most exciting places in the world for independent filmmakers.

Director Ruchika Oberoi’s first film, which will have its world premiere tomorrow in the Venice Days section of the 72nd Venice Film Festival, is a black comedy set in Mumbai, with quirky characters and distinct musical choices, reminiscent of the renowned Finnish auteur, Aki Kaurismäki.

The film is divided into three loosely connected short comedies. The first,Fun Committee, stars Vinay Pathak, who is known for his offbeat performances in Bheja Fry and Badlapur. Pathak plays an office worker who is chosen by managers to take part in fun activities that they think will bolster the morale of their employees.

In the second segment, The Ghost in the Machine, a family imagines that the star of a television soap opera has replaced the hospitalised head of the family in their home. The third, Contact, features Brick Lane star Tannishtha Chatterjee as Aarti, a slum dweller who receives mysterious letters.

“I just thought it would be interesting to do a film on three different characters with three different perspectives, without a very strict theme connecting them all, but some loose link,” says Oberoi.

It’s not only a sense of humour that connects the segments – director Oberoi sees Mumbai, the island city, as the thread that binds them together.

Original article by Kaleem Aftab

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Ruchika Oberoi’s first film is surrounded by stories