The Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival is set to host the South Asia premiere of Raghuvir Joshi’s feature film ‘Sahela’ in the ‘Focus South Asia’ section.

This English-Hindi language movie, an Australian production, is situated within the vibrant Indian community of Western Sydney, and shot in Australia. The film explores a unique love story between a gay man and his wife, offering a fresh perspective on complex themes of love, sexuality, and breaking societal norms, PTI reported.

Produced by Tayyab Madni of Picture Works Australia and Radhika Lavu of Ellanar Films in India, in association with ‘Pushpa-The Rise’ producer Mythri Movie Makers, ‘Sahela’ is co-produced by AB International Films and executive produced by Dev Patel and Jaspreet Kaur.

The cast includes Antonio Aakeel, Anula Navlekar, Sheeba Chaddha, Vipin Sharma, Harish Patel, Anita Patel, and Nicholas Brown in key roles.

Raghuvir Joshi, the filmmaker, described the film as “an intimate portrait of love and self-discovery that challenges the weight of familial expectations and entrenched gender roles in our society. It’s a story that redefines our notions of love, exploring the complexity of sexuality and the freedom that comes from breaking conformity. With ‘Sahela,’ I would also like to underscore that the most profound act of love is the power to let go.”

The ‘Focus South Asia’ section at the Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival highlights features and short films by South Asian and South Asian Diaspora Filmmakers.

‘Sahela’ features an impressive international crew, including renowned sound designer Wayne Pashley, editor Scott Gray, production designer Michael Turner, DOP Michael McDermott, music composer Piers Burbrook de Vere, and sitar maestro Niladri Kumar.

The festival is scheduled to run from October 27 to November 5, 2023.”