Anurag Kashyap chooses MAMI over Busan festival

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap missed the Asian premiere of his new film "Mukkabaaz" as it is going to be the opening film at the 19th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star. But he says it's a choice he made and he is proud of it.

"Well, it is a moment of pride for me. I was very happy because my films have never played at MAMI," Anurag said at a press meet here on Thursday.

"To premiere at MAMI, I had to let go the Asian premiere at Busan (an international film festival in South Korea, one of the most significant in Asia). It's a choice I made."

Anurag was present here with MAMI Festival Director Anupama Chopra, Chairperson Kiran Rao, Creative Director Smriti Kiran among others.

"Mukkabaaz" will narrate the story of a boxer from Uttar Pradesh who falls in love with a Brahmin girl.

Kiran Rao said that the festival this year will showcase over 220 films from 49 countries in 51 languages.

While in the competition section India Gold, movies like "Ashwatthama", "Juze", "Machines", "Ralang Road", "Sexy Durga", "Village Rockstars" among others will be screened, in the International Competition section films like "Apostasy", "Bad Lucky Goat", "I am not a Witch", "More (Daha)", "Most Beautiful Island", "Quest", "Oh Lucy!" among others will be shown.

This year the festival is conducting various workshops on film reviewing, children's films, writers and distributors conversations among various activities throughout the year.

One of the notable changes this year would be the 'Movie Mela' -- an event on discussing films, film reunion on some of the iconic movies -- which will take place on October 7 before the main festival starts from October 12 to October 18.

With a small audio visual presentation, the festival organisers unveiled the international film personalities like John Madden of Oscar winning film "Shakespeare in Love", cinematographer Alexis Zabe, Argentine film director Santiago Mitre and actress-filmmaker Konkona Sen Sharma, among others.