NYIFF OPENING NIGHT SCREENING: Shonali Bose's Margarita With A Straw
Directed by Shonali Bose,
India 2014, 100 Minutes, Hindi/English with English subtitles
PRINCIPAL CAST- Kalki Koechlin, Revathy, Sayani Gupta, William Moseley.
SECONDARY CAST- Hussain Dalal, Tenzin Dalha, Kuljeet Singh, Malhar Khushu.
 
There will be a post-screening discussion with Director Shonali Bose, Co-Director Nilesh Maniyar, Lead Actor Kalki Koechlin and actor Sayani Gupta.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/121296949

LOG LINE: A rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy leaves her home in India to study in New York, unexpectedly falls in love, and embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery.

Synopsis: In this inspirational love story, a middle class Indian teenager born with cerebral palsy (Dev.D, That Girl in Yellow Boots) is determined to have a relationship. Unusual only because it's so rarely seen on screen, Margarita, with a Straw is an exceptional portrait of a woman discovering what she wants, and how to get it.

Laila (Kalki Koechlin) is a student, crafting lyrics and electronic sounds for an indie band at her Delhi University. Her cerebral palsy doesn't much get in the way of her life, although it sometimes does for others. When Laila's band wins a local contest, the condescending host says to her, "It must have been so hard for you. Can you share something with us?" Laila shares her middle finger.

Always seeking more freedom and new experience, Laila wins a place at New York University and leaves India with her mother (Revathy) for Manhattan. There she meets a fiery activist, Khanum (Sayani Gupta), who challenges her beliefs and sparks her creativity. For these two women, it's the beginning of a remarkable love story. Read more >>

About the Director:
Shonali Bose (Director / Writer / Producer) Shonali Bose did an MA in Political Science at Columbia University followed by an MFA in Directing from the UCLA Film School. As a student at UCLA she received a number of top awards. After graduating she taught at NYFA, Universal Studios for a year. Read more >>

Shonali is also the first Indian to receive the prestigious Sundance-Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award for the screenplay of her new film Margarita, with a Straw. The award was presented at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The film had it's world premier at the Toronto Film Festival where it won the NETPAC Jury Award for Best Asian Film. It has gone on to many other important festivals (such as London BFI, Busan, Brisbane) where it's received standing ovations. It won the Best Actress Award for Kalki at the Talinn Black Nights Film Festival and was selected as Best of the Fest out of 192 films at the Palm Springs film Festival. It has already sold to several countries for theatrical release including US, Canada, Spain, Japan, South Korea. It will have a big theatrical release all over India by a major studio, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, in early 2015.

Awards
Sundance-Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award - Sundance Film Festival, 2012 (for screenplay)
NETPAC Jury Award for Best Asian Film - Toronto Film Festival, 2014
Best Actress Award: Kalki Koechlin - Talinn Black Nights Film Festival, 2014
Audience Award Runner Up and Best of the Fest - Palm Springs Film Festival, 2014