Panaji, Nov 21 (UNI) Director of 'Beyond the Clouds', Hindi film which was screened as opening film at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here today said that working with the exceptionally talented cast and crew of the film was an amazing experience.



Addressing a press conference along with Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan, lead caste of the film, here, Majidi said, “Working with the exceptionally talented cast and crew of India in ‘Beyond the Clouds’ has been an amazing experience. Ishaan and Malavika has done full justice to their characters and portrayed them very well. The subject of ‘Beyond the Clouds’ has got a universal appeal and I hope the subject resonates with audiences across the globe after its release.”



Ishaan said, “It was a great learning and interesting experience working with all the stalwarts associated with ‘Beyond the Clouds’ including Majidi sir, Anil Mehta sir, Vishal Bhardwaj sir and A R Rahman sir. It’s indeed a strong team to be working with. Mr Majidi has the strong leadership qualities. It is incredibly empowering in the sense that there was so much to learn from all these talented people. For instance, working with Vishal sir and speaking his dialogues was surreal. Everybody worked in tandem with the same goal – to satisfy Majidi sir’s vision as a filmmaker.”



Sharing her experience, Malavika said, “When it comes to working with a filmmaker like Majid Majidi, there was nothing to think about. What he brings to the screen is simply outstanding. So it was a no-brainer. I am a lover of cinema and passionate about it. I would like to portray interesting roles on screen and something that would challenge me as an actor. It was a blessing.”



‘Beyond the Clouds’ is an extension of Majidi's cinematic beliefs, the roots of which lie in human values, love, friendship and family bonding.



The film is a story of a brother and sister like Children of Heaven, with the difference being that the siblings are grownups and tackle greater conflicts with the backdrop of the bustling city of Mumbai. The film is a vindication of Majid Majid’s firm view that human emotions have no barriers of language and geography.



The acclaimed Iranian filmmaker, who is also the recipient of several prestigious awards, has made a film out of this country, an experience which he describes as “one waiting for years to happen”.



The film has been produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora and Zee Studios.



Zee Studios Business Head Sujay Kutty, who was present in the press conference, said, “Zee Studios has completed 25 years and it was a great experience collaborating with ‘Beyond the Clouds’ and what you see on screen is something extra ordinary with brilliant artists being part of the film including Vishal Bhardwaj, A R Rahman, Anil Mehta and our lovely cast Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan. We want to create content which people across the globe would like to see. The opening ceremony was brilliant and people really appreciated our film and we will strive to make such films.”

UNI AKM SW 1804