Film and the Indian Culture – Manship Theatre and BR Bengali Association team up for A Nite of Indian Cinema

When Renee Chatelain started developing programming for the Manship Theatre in 2010, she wanted to reach out to all the different cultural groups in Baton Rouge.

Not only did she want to put the city’s culture on display, she also wanted to make sure each group knew the Manship Theatre was available and accessible.

At a seminar later that year, Chatelain met Tapan Shakar of the Baton Rouge Bengali Association. Shakar brought up the idea of having a night of Indian cinema.

That event will take place this Saturday at Manship Theatre, and kicks off at 4 p.m. Dubbed “A Nite of Indian Cinema,” the festivities include three feature films, short films from The Satyajit Roy Film Institute, music and food.

Shakar says the night includes all facets of Indian film, including student films and commercials.

“We had tried to cover not only popular Hindi cinema, regional cinema and specialized cinema, but also included films from the students of the film institute and classic advertisement films,” he says. “These can provide excellent insight into culture of the people, especially when compared against a product that is consumed by people from all over the world, like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.”

Shakar says film production in India is the largest in the world, with almost 1,000 films made per year and an annual audience of more than three billion at home and millions overseas.

“Its entertainment value and influence is not only seen in India but also all across the world,” he says.

Check out the full schedule below. Ticket prices range from $10-$30. More information is available here.

Vicky Donor—A 2012 romantic comedy
Intermission
Shabdo—A 2012 drama and 60th National Award Winner for Best Feature Film in Bengali
Food and music break
Short Film showcase
Intermission
Bunty Aur Babli—A 2005 Bollywood film. This film will have an intermission.