Actor Shriya Pilgaonkar has joined the jury for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), which began on June 27, spotlighting themes from South Asian culture. Pilgaonkar, who is judging the Shorts category, is known for her roles in Hindi and Marathi cinema such as 'Fan' (2016), 'Ekulti Ek' (2013), and 'Aranya' (2021), as well as in series like 'Mirzapur' and 'The Broken News'.
The 35-year-old also garnered international experience with projects like the French film 'Un Plus Une' (2015) and Gurinder Chadha’s British television series 'The Beecham House' (2019). “I am really excited to watch a lot of films deeply rooted in South Asian culture. It’s always inspiring to witness new and emerging storytellers," she told Hindustan Times in an interview.
Before leaving for the festival, Pilgaonkar said she views this experience not only as an opportunity to appreciate cinema but also as a learning curve for her aspirations in directing and producing. “There is so much talent. It really motivates me. I also wish to direct and produce. This experience is something that will teach me a lot and give me the opportunity to meet a lot of people."
The festival opened with Indian-origin filmmaker Tarsem Singh’s 'Dear Jassi', a tale of forbidden romance inspired by true events. The film follows Jassi, a Canadian-born Indian girl who falls in love with Mithu, a rickshaw driver from a lower social class
IFFLA will showcase 20 films, including seven narrative features, 12 shorts, and one docu-series from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United States, bringing together South Asian stories and perspectives from around the globe.
“Dear Jassi” is a tragic love story inspired by true events. . Through their instant attraction, they must confront the reality of societal expectations imposed by Jassi’s family. The film stars Pavia Sidhu and Yugam Sood in his acting feature debut.
The film festival will close on June 30 with the premiere of the Tamil film 'Maharaja', written and directed by Nithilan Saminathan. The film is an action-packed thriller about a group of men seeking revenge with twisted turns along the way. It stars Vijay Sethupathi in his milestone 50th outing, and filmmaker-actor Anurag Kashyap playing the villain.
