LITTLETON — For a group of local moms, unveiling their feature film was a dream years in the making.
A group of non-resident Indian (NRI) women from the Merrimack Valley produced and premiered their first Bollywood film.
NRILife Productions premiered NRI Wives: Grey Stories of Love Vs. Desires at O’Neil Cinemas in Littleton on April 9. The film was written and produced by self-described “average next-door moms” from Westford, Nashua, NH and Merrimack, NH.
The film focuses on romantic relationships between a number of characters.
“Life always gives you two choices, to keep on going for what you don’t have or to embrace what you do have and make the best of it,” Gunjan Kuthiala, writer and producer of the film told WestfordCAT.
The film’s makeup artist Vidhi Dalia notes the film is family-friendly and hopes it will remain accessible to residents of all ages.
“They all have a happy ending. There’s no nudity, not even any kissing. [The film] just barely touches the edge,” Dalia said.
Local moms create and produce feature film
“Somehow this crazy dream started. There is a lot of integrity in what we do,” Kuthiala said. “I’m crazy and the people who supported me are crazy.”
Their goal, Kuthiala says, is to mix Hollywood and Bollywood content in her films.
“What we lack here [in New England] is an authentic filmmaking platform. Not many people can quit their jobs and move to Hollywood or Bollywood,” Kuthiala said.
The film, Kuthiala says, took nearly four years to film and produce and progress was stalled by delays from the pandemic.
“Work was halted in the pandemic. But, the pandemic helped with improving the film’s quality,” Kuthiala said. “We learned a lot [about production and editing].”
The film was led by a team of five women who “wore multiple hats” during production.
“It was a challenge,” Dalia said. “We were all multitasking. But my family was my backbone.”
Other members of the production team include Ambika Magtani, Rohini Pola and Soumya Dharmateja. Crew members said that their theatrical premier was “a dream come true.”
The film is set to release on May 12 in over 300 theatres worldwide.
“Support us crazy filmmakers in bringing a filmmaking platform to our neighborhood,” Kuthalia said.
You must be logged in to post a comment.