Dibakar Das Roy's Debut Feature DILLI DARK Received A Heart-Warming Response At Its Premiere Screening At Jio MAMI

The premiere screening of Dibakar Das Roy's debut feature Dilli Dark which had its World Premiere in the South Asia Competition at the 23rd edition of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival received an exceptional heart-warming response from a packed house audience who turned up in large numbers to watch the film.  The film is nominated for the IMDB Audience Choice Award.

The screening was attended by the cast, Sudani from Nigeria actor Samuel Abiola Robinson who is making his Bollywood debut in the film, Thappad actress Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and film critic Stutee Ghosh and the crew. 

Varun Grover moderated a Q&A with debut filmmaker Dibakar Das Roy after the screening which went on for an hour. 

Soon after MAMI, the film will have its International Premiere at the 27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival as part of the ‘First Features Competition Section'. The festival will take place from the 3rd until the 19th of November, 2023.

The 100-minute dark comedy film in Hindi, English, Yoruba and Pidgin language is about a Nigerian boy living in New Delhi who wants to get his MBA and settle in India but his part-time job gives him a dubious double life in a city notoriously difficult for outsiders.

‘Dilli Dark' stars Samuel Abiola Robinson as a lead and features Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Shantanu Anam and Stutee Ghosh in prominent roles. Samuel Abiola Robinson made his screen debut in India as the lead in the Malayali movie Sudani From Nigeria. Geetika Vidya Ohlyan made her screen debut with Ivan Ayr's Soni.

Excited about the response, writer-director-producer Dibakar Das Roy says, "The audience was truly amazing, and I have nothing but love for them. Their support has been the highlight of this festival, and it's beyond what we could have hoped for. We are deeply grateful for the incredible backing they've shown us.”

The leading actor of the film Samuel Abiola Robinson says, “I think at the Mami we have received a good response so far and we are very happy to see it. We are thrilled with the positive feedback we've received at the JIO MAMI film festival and are eagerly anticipating a similar enthusiastic response throughout India. The responses we've garnered so far have truly warmed our hearts.”

The leading actress of the film Geetika Vidya Ohlyan says, “The audience appeared to be very intelligent, appreciating the effort and direction of the work. The screening was a full house, and my family has always taught me the importance of welcoming guests as a host. I stood by the theater entrance, thanking everyone who came to the show. The theater reached its full capacity, so we couldn't accommodate any more attendees. It was a touching and humbling experience, and I expressed my sincere gratitude to those who waited in line but couldn't watch the film. I was truly delighted.”

New Delhi, is not as 'new' as the word might suggest. It is an ancient cosmopolitan city which has seen many rulers, invaders and settlers over the centuries. A city which is multicultural, yet hostile - forever playing out the battle between 'insider' and 'outsider'. But though Delhi has seen many kings, one can say that the city is the only true monarch, a God in itself.

Michael Okeke is one of the many Nigerians living in the city, part of a larger African diaspora which is often looked down upon by the locals and accused of being criminals, cannibals and more. Michael is studying for his MBA and dreams of joining the booming corporate sector in India, but is hopelessly stuck. He works as a small-time drug delivery guy to make ends meet, and it is this job and his African identity which keeps his life coming back full circle.

His search for gainful employment lands him in the fringes of society, where the only person who takes him in is a sketchy godwoman by the name of Maansi - someone who does not judge him by his race or colour. But while she does not discriminate between black and white, she also seems to find no difference between right and wrong - a sentiment being echoed in every aspect of the city's DNA. As Michael navigates this tricky landscape and tries to please the God that is Delhi, we are taken on a journey into Indian society's tricky relationship with race, colour and identity.

About Dibakar Das Roy:

Dibakar Das Roy left a career in advertising in the USA to come back home to learn filmmaking on the job; writing, producing and directing ad films, documentaries and TV series under his hybrid creative shop BrainCell. He has produced across genres ranging from comedy web series, to horror shows, working on Indian and foreign productions. ‘Dilli Dark' is his first feature film, written, directed and co-produced by him. He divides his time between Mumbai, Delhi and New York City.

About Udayan Das Roy:

Udayan Das Roy's other production in development is a project that involves getting a machine to sing (https://songxytr.substack.com/).His plans to set up a film production house with his brother have been in the works since the last decade. He lives in New York City.

About Reeligion Films:

Reeligion Films was founded by brothers Udayan and Dibakar Das Roy with an aim to produce globally appealing films that are meaningful yet entertaining. ‘Dilli Dark' is their first venture, and they have a slate of films they intend to follow this up with. While Dibakar chiefly operates out of India, Udayan is based in New York City.

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