NY filmmaker releases film online with SRK`s support

New Jersey: New York based independent filmmaker Shailja Gupta, who is also the US country head of Shah Rukh Khan`s production company Red Chilies Entertainment, has launched her maiden film ‘Walkaway’ online for viewers in India this week.

The Indian American movie, in English language, is positioned as a light-comedy drama, mocking the clutches of social obligations on young Indian professionals settled in New York City. Shailja says she has had Shah Rukh`s support in making the movie and releasing it. "Shah Rukh Khan has been a major factor that has helped me realize my dream into reality," said Shailja. The Bollywood superstar said, "It`s a lovely movie and is straight from the heart. I would love for all of you to watch it and enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed viewing it." Over the last two years Shailja has donned many hats - from conception and fund raising, through production and post-production, to marketing and release. "I have grown as much as a professional with this movie. While the two-year journey has not been easy, the whole hearted support of the industry has been very encouraging. "My unique method of launching this movie in the country might just inspire more independent filmmakers who get tired running after distributors. To release their movies online is a more viable option to showcase their art," Shailja said. The story weaves through the lives of four couples from diverse backgrounds, as they face the dilemmas of living in an international contemporary society, away from home, while still being expected to fulfil archaic and age-old Indian tradition and how they deal with it. Set against this backdrop the movie gives a glimpse of the tangled web woven when dealing with the affairs of the heart. New York`s best South Asian acting talent - Manu Narayan, Samrat Chakrabarty, Manish Dayal, Saniv Jhaveri, Deepti Gupta, Carrie Anne James, Pallavi Sharda and Ami Sheth have been cast in the film. The movie has eight songs across languages as they track the cross cultural stories in English, French, Hindi, Marwari and Tamil. Bollywood music directors and leading international artists like Vishal & Shekhar, Ram Sampath, Sagar Desai, Manu Narayan, Kurush Mistry and Samrat Chakrabarti have contributed to the foot tapping music of the movie. Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty has mixed the sound for ‘Walkaway’. Red Chillies Entertainment assisted in the post production, editing and VFX. This is one of the first ever movie to be released within-video paywall. The film has already received positive reviews from the international press. The New York Times said "A little Bollywood, a lot American Indie" about this movie, while Newsday said, "filmmaker Shailja Gupta has a sure hand and eye." PTI