Dibakar Das Roy's Debut Feature DILLI DARK to Make Its World Premiere At The Jio MAMI And International Premiere At Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

Debut filmmaker Dibakar Das Roy's feature Dilli Dark to make its World Premiere at Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival 2023 in the South Asia Competition Section. The festival will be held from October 27 - November 5, 2023.

The film produced by Reeligion Films 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 World Premiere of his debut feature at Jio MAMI, writer-director-producer Dibakar Das Roy says, "Dilli Dark was a challenging film to write and direct because of the unique nature of its storyline and the vastly different worlds it brings together. I had to create an African protagonist who would traverse the different strata of Delhi, exposing our innate biases; but ensuring that the language and the interactions were believable was extremely difficult.

However, I was certain that once complete, it would be a film the likes of which audiences haven't seen before. Why I am most eager to share this with the world is that it is a film that is loaded with meaning yet very entertaining and accessible - just the kind of cinema I would like to create for life."

The film's leading actor Samuel Abiola Robinson says, “Being an African man who has himself faced some racial discrimination in New Delhi, I was drawn to the story of 'Dilli Dark' because I feel that it is an authentic take on the subject of racial discrimination but it does not preach to you. Instead, it delivers its message in a funny and unique way that I think forces the audience to sit up and notice the core message. Having lived in South Asia for many years and worked on multiple films, I have yet to see a film quite like Dilli Dark."

Actor Geetika Vidya Ohlyan says, “Mansi is the most bizarre character I have played so far! From costume to character, the weight of those layers was liberating and burdening at the same time. I still wiggle, giggle and shriek thinking of some of our shoot days. Dibakar seems to have created a cosmopolitan cocktail of fantastical flights and real situations with a dash of humour. It excites me greatly to anticipate the audience's response to this one. I wish to be present at public screenings, disguised as a lay person to see the audience‘s real time reactions to the truth bombs on them!”

About the Film

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.

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