Highway releases on February 21.
Mumbai:
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's new film,Highway, created a buzz across Europe as the film made aLondon stopover after its premiere at the Berlin Film Festivallast week.
The road movie, which travels across six states of Indiaas part of a young girl's journey from a suffocating life in amillionaire home to being kidnapped by gangsters, seems tohave caught the imagination of international audiences."It was the first time we watched the entire film with theaudience and it was an overwhelming feeling to see that theywere right there with every scene," Alia Bhatt, the20-year-old lead actress of the film, told reporters in Londonon her way back from Berlin on February 14.
"This film has taught me how to just be, without anyfacade or being fake. If I am stupid, then let me be stupid.It has given me the confidence to say 'to hell with everybody,this is my space'," she added in reference to her extremelynuanced and complex role as Veera Tripathy.
Highway sets itself apart as a visibly free-spiritedstory without a firm and structured script to incorporate someof the raw and rustic elements of states like Rajasthan,Punjab and Kashmir.
"I had the story defined in my mind but I wanted to keepthe script open to be able to include whatever we stumbledupon during the journey of the film. Watching it with theaudience in Berlin from beginning to end, I felt this storythat has been with me for 15 years is now ready to be seen bythe world," said writer-director Ali, who has also co-producedthe film.
Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman also takes on a wholenew avatar for his first Punjabi song, released as astand-alone music video in the lead up to the film.Unveiling the Patakha Guddi video in London, Alidescribed it as a rare re-grouping of the film's crew topresent Rahman's ode to the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Highway, which also stars Randeep Hooda is scheduled forworldwide release by UTV Disney on February 21.
The road movie, which travels across six states of Indiaas part of a young girl's journey from a suffocating life in amillionaire home to being kidnapped by gangsters, seems tohave caught the imagination of international audiences."It was the first time we watched the entire film with theaudience and it was an overwhelming feeling to see that theywere right there with every scene," Alia Bhatt, the20-year-old lead actress of the film, told reporters in Londonon her way back from Berlin on February 14.
"This film has taught me how to just be, without anyfacade or being fake. If I am stupid, then let me be stupid.It has given me the confidence to say 'to hell with everybody,this is my space'," she added in reference to her extremelynuanced and complex role as Veera Tripathy.
Highway sets itself apart as a visibly free-spiritedstory without a firm and structured script to incorporate someof the raw and rustic elements of states like Rajasthan,Punjab and Kashmir.
"I had the story defined in my mind but I wanted to keepthe script open to be able to include whatever we stumbledupon during the journey of the film. Watching it with theaudience in Berlin from beginning to end, I felt this storythat has been with me for 15 years is now ready to be seen bythe world," said writer-director Ali, who has also co-producedthe film.
Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman also takes on a wholenew avatar for his first Punjabi song, released as astand-alone music video in the lead up to the film.Unveiling the Patakha Guddi video in London, Alidescribed it as a rare re-grouping of the film's crew topresent Rahman's ode to the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Highway, which also stars Randeep Hooda is scheduled forworldwide release by UTV Disney on February 21.
