The special screening of Paradise in Mumbai was attended by the film’s lead actors
Roshan Mathew
and
Darshana Rajendran
, along with notable guests including directors Jasmeet K Reen (Darlings), Amit Masurkar (Newton), Prosit Roy (Pari), Suresh Triveni (Tumhari Sulu), Anubhuti Kashyap (Doctor G), Shazia Iqbal (Bebaak), and actors like Swanand Kirkire,
Sharib Hashmi
, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Heeba Shah and Shreya Dhanwanthary.
The award-winning film is directed by Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vinthanage, who couldn’t make it to the premiere. “I was eagerly looking forward to attending today’s premiere, but I was unfortunately held up in Sri Lanka with release work. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all my friends who attended today’s event. The lead characters of the film hail from Mumbai, and I hope the film will forge a special bond with the people of this colorful, magnificent city,” he tells us.
Paradise won the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Film at the Busan International Film Festival. Shot in Sri Lanka, Paradise narrates the vacation of a tourist couple, exploring their struggles with societal, personal, and internal challenges. Through their experiences, they unveil an objective truth about human nature.
While talking to us, Roshan, says, “I’m happy the film has come to Mumbai again after playing at MAMI. Many people who missed it are here today and seem to be enjoying it. The film has been shown at various festivals worldwide, and it’s been great to see positive responses from different audiences. So far, everything has gone well, and I hope the positive reactions continue after its release.” Darshana adds, “It’s a nice feeling to be in another city, showing our film to people whose work I admire and have worked with. We have a great group of supporters watching the film, and it’s lovely.”
Amit, director of the film Newton, was also present at the event and tells us, “It’s a hard-hitting film with amazing acting. The way the story unfolds is remarkable. Just wait until the end—that’s when it really hits you.” Suresh Triveni, director of the film Tumhari Sulu states, “I’m blown away. The ending was unexpected, and the film left me thinking. It makes me wonder if I’m pushing myself enough as a filmmaker. Every aspect of the film was stimulating, and the actors were outstanding. This film stays with you and needs to be seen by many more people, especially when the art of filmmaking is struggling. Such films need to make a comeback.”
Actor Sharib Hashmi also tells us, “I missed a bit of the movie, but what I saw was so engaging and beautifully made. Darshana and Roshan’s performances were outstanding. I’m definitely going to watch it again.” Actor Geetanjali calls the movies “a very important film for today’s time”. “The story is heart-wrenching and teaches us to introspect. It’s beautifully shot, with wonderful actors, and the story is vast yet very personal. People should go and watch this film,” she adds.
