Mira Nair’s short film features Cyrus Sahukar and Richa Chadda

Mira Nair

By Kanika Rajani

After directing a short film for New York, I Love You in 2008, Mira Nair’s next, a short film is among the seven other stories in Words with Gods. Nair’s film, titled God’s Room is an anthology on religion and depicts eight cultures. “It’s based on an idea by Mexican director Guillermo Arriago (screenwriter for Babel in 2006), he wanted to make a film on religion and god, and how many people don’t speak about it. So, it’s a collection of eight films from eight different countries by different directors who have put forth their own cultural experiences. This particular story is set in a South Mumbai family which is just moving into a big duplex apartment,” said Richa Chadda who essays the role of a newly wed bride from South Mumbai, married into a family that is not as affluent as her maternal family.
Variety describes the film as a family debating the location of the prayer room in their new apartment. Chadda further describes how God’s Room, “depicts a wealthy family settled in downtown Mumbai with a ‘snooty’, ‘townie’ attitude to everything. That’s not all, this short film has an ensemble cast consisting of senior actress Tanuja, Rajkummar Rao, Ram Kapoor, Vinay Pathak Shefali Shah and Cyrus Sahukar. Sahukar who is usually seen portraying comic roles plays an architect in the film. “My character is constantly at loggerheads with his contractor played by Vinay Pathak and catering to the family that has just bought this house.”
While the film’s release date has not been finalised, Words… is doing the festival rounds and has been screened at the Venice Film Festival and the Los Cabos International Festival in Mexico. It will next be screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
After landing a role with the acclaimed director, Chadda will be seen in Pooja Bhatt’s Cabaret opposite Gulshan Devaiah. Sahukar who was last seen on television in Sab Khelo Sab Jeeto, has now created The Bench in partnership with Rhea Kapoor and Sanjay Boolani. The latter is an online show which is a spoof on structured interviews that feature celebrities.