'Andhadhun' to open Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Tabu to be honoured

The 17th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles will open with the screening of "Andhadhun" paired with a tribute and moderated discussion with its star, Tabu.

One of the most talented actors in Hindi cinema, Tabu is known for her masterful performances in films such as "Astitva", "Maqbool", "Haider", "The Namesake" and "Life of Pi".

"Andhadhun", the latest from thriller master Sriram Raghavan, won rave reviews and box office success upon its release last year in September. The film revolves around Tabu's Simi, a desperate small time actor-turned trophy wife who is caught disposing of her husband's body in front of a presumably blind pianist Akash (Ayushmann Khurrana).

The story follows Simi, Akash, and Akash's suspicious girlfriend (played by Radhika Apte) in a wicked story of ambition, romance and organ harvesting.

"We have discussed honoring Tabu for a long time, and this year felt like the right time," said Christina Marouda, IFFLA's Executive Director.

"Her work and personality embody everything that IFFLA is about - being fearless, versatile, independent in spirit, unwilling to compromise, brilliant in the range of her performances, and simply beautiful. With half of the festival's 2019 line-up directed by female filmmakers, this couldn't be a stronger celebration of women in Indian cinema," Marouda said.

The line up of the festival, which runs from April 11-14, includes Ritesh Batra's "Photograph", director Ronny Sen's feature debut "Cat Sticks", Safdar Rahman's "Chippa", Bengali film "Jonaki", "Love Goes Through Your Mind" and Anamika haksar's "Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis".

The festival will also screen Kashmir-set feature and short films -- "Widow of Silence" and "Nooreh" besides "The Sweet Requiem", centering on Tibetan refugees living in Delhi, and "Circle", about domestic violence.