Fortissimo Films has picked up international rights outside India/South Asia to Amit Kumar’s UK-India production Monsoon Shootout, which recently wrapped in Mumbai.
The action thriller marks the feature debut of Mumbai-based filmmaker Kumar, who directed award-winning short film The Bypass.
Produced by Trevor Ingman of the UK’s Yaffle Films, the film is co-produced by India’s Anurag Kashyap Films and Dar Motion Pictures and Pardesi Films from the Netherlands, in association with Arte France. It was developed with the support of the UK Film Council before the funding body’s demise.
The story revolves around a rookie cop who faces off against a suspected gangster in a dead-end alley and has to decide whether to shoot or not to shoot. Three separate scenarios explore the impact of his decision on other people’s lives.
Co-producers on the film include Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and his producing partner Guneet Monga, Pardesi’s Martijn De Grunt and Dar Motion’s Arun Rangachari and Shahnaab Alam. Asif Kapadia and Lee Stone executive produced.
The cast includes Vijay Varma (Shor), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Black Friday) Tannishtha Chatterjee (Brick Lane) and Neeraj Kabi (Gandhi Of The Month). DoP is Rajeev Ravi, whose credits include The Bypass and several Anurag Kashyap-directed films.
The film is currently in post-production and Fortissimo plans to show footage at the upcoming European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin.
Fortissimo chairman Michael J Werner said: “Monsoon Shootout represents a new kind of independent cinema from India. Exciting, intelligent, fast paced and with a smart story, Amit and his producers have crafted a film that should resonate strongly with international audiences.”
The Bypass, produced by Yaffle Films with backing from the UKFC and Film Four, achieved international acclaim after it premiered at the Edinburgh film festival. It also won several awards including best film and best cinematography at the Kodak Bafta Showcase, London.
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