Cast
What it is about
Ajay, a young filmmaker hoping to direct his first feature, has just married, and he shares his dreams with his wife Asha, a teacher who supports the household while he takes on other jobs without giving up the project. The film portrays the struggles of young people, especially graduates of the Film and Television Institute of India, to find a foothold in the Indian film industry.
How it was made
Ashok Ahuja wrote, produced and directed the film, which marks his debut as a feature director. Naseeruddin Shah and Anita Kanwar lead the cast, alongside Pankaj Kapur, Satish Kaushik and Neena Gupta. Uttam Singh composed the music and Renu Saluja edited the film. The story includes a film within the film, which is completed by the end.
Reception and legacy
It won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie and the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director. It also received the Film Ducat at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival.
Trivia
A film within a film
The story ends with the completion of the movie the protagonist is trying to make, so the fictional project and the main narrative reach their conclusion together.
A debut in several roles
Ashok Ahuja took on writing, producing and directing the film at once, and the Indira Gandhi Award recognized his work as a first-time director.
Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.