The Winter of Love at Capital Woman

Capital Woman are promoting and screening “The Winter of Love”, the directorial debut by Shakila Taranum Maan  on 8th March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster SW1P 3EE.

The DVD of The Winter of Love will be sold at a discounted price for the conference participants.

Ken Livingston, the Mayor of London will introduce the day along with special audience with Angela Davis. 

For more information on the day, contact Capital Woman.

Click here to purchase the DVD of The Winter of Love.

 

The Winter of Love DVD at The Tongues on Fire Film Festival

Tongues on Fire Film Festival have been ardent supports of The Winter of Love since its release.

At their 10th Annual Tongues on Fire Film Festival, Pushpinder Chowdhry and Harvinder Nath have opened their hearts and doors the British director, Shakila Taranum Maan. Available for sale at practically each screening, the DVD is on sale for all the festival goers, including a major promotion at Capital Woman   on 8th March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster SW1P 3EE.

Further information, you can contact The Art Ministry  on 020 8581 2328

ASIAN WOMAN magazine gives THE WINTER OF LOVE 5 STARS

“The Winter of Love is a sensitive drama that gets under the skin of Asian life with its atmospheric visuals and a compelling soundtrack by Kuljit Bhamra” Suman Bhuchar writing in Asian Woman, January issue.

In the January Issue of Asian Woman’s film section, The Winter of Love walked away with a grand review by Suman Bhuchar   and 5 stars to boot. Recommended as stocking filler, the feature is an independent production released by The Art Ministry  and written and direct by Shakila Taranum Maan.

Click here for information and to purchase a DVD of The Winter of Love.  

The youngest member of The Winter of Love

Hardeep Singh Mangat, the youngest of the cast in ‘The Winter of Love’ (formally A Quiet Desperation) fitted in perfectly – at the time of the shoot, Hardeep was in his late teen’s – tall and charming – a child in a man’s body. Playing the role of Sonu Singh, Paji’s youngest child, Sonu Singh is left with the responsibilities of caring for a mentally disturbed elder sister after the death of their father. Their world is turned upside down and further complicated by the arrival of their uncle, Shammi Singh, played by Shiv Grewal.Hardeep’s route into acting was through community theatre which he was involved in from his early teen’s where in appeared in a play at the National Theatre, A Indian Summer by Harwant Bains, qualifying for a runner up in a competition run by the National.

A versatile and natural actor, Hardeep was un-phased by the tumultuous activity around him. Delivering a very natural talent, Hardeep delivered a poignant performance of a teenage unable to cope with adversity.

Although Hardeep is no longer acting, his contribution to The Winter of Love remains exemplary.

Mamta Anand from the cast The Winter of Love

Manta Anand’s quiet portrayal of Banger’s wife in ‘The Winter of Love’ (formerly ‘A Quiet Desperation’) reveals the loneliness and sorrow in a woman who has put everything into a marriage but finds herself rejected.In love with Banger, Mamta explores effectively the pitiful nature of the character’s need to be wanted by an uncaring husband. In the brief scenes that she has, Mamta manages to encapsulate an experience that is common for so many women, and she effectively transcends race.

Mamta has appeared in a number of productions produced by Falcon Films, in a few she has played the lead and created memorable performances. In Restless Sky, she played a homeless woman, living on memories. In Talking About Suicide, Mamta played the role of a depressed and battered woman on the verge of suicide.

A versatile actress with great depth, Mamta has appeared on stage and television. Her television appearances include Casualty, Waking The Dead, The Bill, 15 Stories High, Kismet Road and Dilly Down Town.

A regular artist with the Asian fringe theatre, Mamta has created many memorable roles ranging from a battered wife to supreme comedy. Productions include at the Lyric Hammersmith, When Amar met Jay. With RIFCO, she played the role of Shanti in Bollywood – Yet Another Love Story and she also appeared in RIFCO’s production of The Deranged Marriage. She has also worked extensively in Punjabi theatre as well as been involved in productions with Kali Theatre.

Recently, Mamta has ventured out in directing for community theatre with productions based at Watermans in Brentford.

Shekhar Bassi from the cast The Winter of Love

Shekhar Bassi plays the villainous character of Banger in ‘The Winter of Love’ (formerly ‘A Quiet Desperation’). The character is fashioned on the real life ‘Banger’ of Southall. The name is actually pronounced as ‘Bungur’ as is a well known Punjabi surname.Banger’s character soon took on the ‘shadow’ in the film. A family friend, unknown to all, has been abusing the mentally unstable Preeti in

As the film develops, we come to see Banger manipulating the family members for his own sexual gratification. Played with a quiet sinisterism by Shekhar Bassi, the darkness of the character envelopes the film.

Shekhar also came on prior to shooting as script editor and helped with developing aspects of the story. Being a low budget arthouse feature, the script had to be modified to meet with the low budget demands of the production. Shekhar along with his brother Shalinder Bassi were great asset in making sure that the production did not fail.

The duo has been writing since 1996 and has to their credit the theatre play ‘Chemistry’ along with a feature script based on a short story by Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Kabuliwalla'(1998). Other credits include Dress Code, Blazing Bras, Come Home, Six Points to Living, Indian Summer, Charmed Offensive and much more.

Pravesh Kumar from the cast The Winter of Love

Since the completion of The Winter of Love (formerly ‘A Quiet Desperation’), many of the actors who appeared in the film have gone on to create amazing projects.Pravesh played the part of Anil in The Winter of Love who pays a high price for love. Although a brief appearance in the film, Anil’s character is central to the development of Preeti’s character which culminates in tragedy.

Pravesh Kumar, who appears as a memory for one of the key protagonists in the film, Preeti, played by Gurpreet Bhatti, has since created a successful theatre company, RIFCO who have in the past produced box office sensation with productions such as Bollywood 2000 and Deranged Marriage.

Here is an extract of an interview with Pravesh which appeared in BBC Berkshire:

“Pravesh Kumar is a successful theatre director from Slough. He is head of RIFCO, the resident company at the new theatre venue in the town, the West Wing. What makes this all the more remarkable is that there was no theatre there when he was young.

Where did you grow up?

“I grew up in Slough, my mother’s still there, and I work there every day at the West Wing, which is part of Arbour Vale School.”

That’s a new venue for Slough, isn’t it?
“Yes, it’s the only new venue we’ve had for 20 years, so it’s wonderful to have a space now where we can put on professional work, and receive other touring work from around the country. It’s about time. We did have something in the early ’80s which closed down. We can now develop our arts scene, which is way behind any other city or town. We’re going to do a great deal of work with the community… It’s a studio space, which is about 250 seats.”

With no theatres in Slough, how did you get interested in the arts?
“At the Westgate School in Cippenham. We had a strong focus at the time on drama, which seems to have changed now. Then I went onto Langley College (now East Berkshire college), I was the only non-white student on the performing arts course. Also I worked at the cinema. Then I got into the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in Wandsworth, an acting degree for three years. Before the end of the course I was offered the lead in a show at Stratford East, ‘Moti Roti’. That launched my acting career, which went on until 1998. “

You can read the interview in full here.

Badi U Zaman from the cast The Winter of Love

Badi U Zaman brief appearance at Shammi’s (Shiv Grewal) elder brother is brief but memorable in ‘The Winter of Love’ (formerly ‘A Quiet Desperation’) where he serves up relief, showing the shallowness of the character.Badi has been part of the British Asian cinema and theatre since he landed here in 1984 escaping the wrath of Zia ul-Haq’s military dictatorship in Pakistan.

His rapid departure from Pakistan was due to an appearance in a film entitled Mela by Salman Peerzada, playing a clown in a circus commenting on the political situation in Pakistan at the time.

Upon arrival in England, Badi quickly established himself both on stage and in television – going on to appear in Sammy and Rosie get laid and most recently in Guantanamo at in the West End, about the prisoners held by the US.

Badi in a sense appears as a guest in The Winter of Love and plays the character of Chacha Malli, Shammi and Paji’s older estranged brother whose lost interest is a blow up doll who lives with him in his shed amongst the home beer kit.

A memorable character, Badi u Zaman’s portrayal of Chacha Malli honed the desperation of many of his generation nostalgic of returning to their country of birth.

Dev Sagoo from the cast The Winter of Love

Dev Sagoo’s rendition of the central villainous character of ‘Paji’ in ‘The Winter of Love’ (formerly ‘A Quiet Desperation’) is gripping highlighting the common features of a man who fulfils his duty through control and manipulation.

His centre of attention is his young daughter ‘Preeti’ who is mentally unstable and looked after him. Despite Preeti’s mental state, she finds love and independence which sits uncomfortably with the character of Paji.

The relationship comes to a head when Preeti plans to leave with her lover but is violently stopped by Paji and his accomplice Banger, played by Shakher Bassi. This leads Preeti into a spiral that creates an inability to think for herself, relying entirely on her controlling father.

Dev works the character’s with depth and a cold control, calming plotting to ‘do away with the boy’.

Dev Sagoo is a highly respected British Asian actor who has been part of great productions from the late ‘70’s and onwards. His credits include; In the Field (2005); Beautiful People (1999); My Son the Fanatic (1997); “Turning World” (1997) “Between the Lines” 1993; Prime Suspect 2 and much more.

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti from the cast The Winter of Love

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s rendition of Preeti’s character in ‘The Winter of Love’ (formerly ‘A Quiet Desperation’) is deeply moving and original.Playing the part of Preeti, Gurpreet brought to light the struggles of a young woman wanting to live her own life. She live Anil who is played by Pravesh Kumar in The Winter of Love pay a high price for love. Although a brief appearance in the film, Anil’s character is central to the development of Preeti’s character which culminates in tragedy.

Filmed entirely on location, The Winter of Love tells the story of a family in turmoil after the death of Paji, Preeti’s father. The return of Shammi, Preeti’s uncle, unlocks a plethora of ghosts.

Since the completion of the film many of the actors who appeared in the film have gone on to create amazing projects and Gurpreet has since established herself as a highly skilled playwright for the British stage.

Her play Bhezti, which caused much controversy and joins the ranks of many well crafted plays by British Asian playwrights, went on to ask probing and difficult questions as is the role of any writer.

Gurpreet went on to win the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Bhezti. The US-based award is made annually to the best English language play by a woman and is worth $10,000.

At the time of winning the prize, BBC Midlands covered the story and wrote that:

“Critics have marked out Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti as a playwright to watch – be it as a fresh, original or provocative voice in British theatre.

Bhezti is Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s second play. Born in Watford, she has mixed acting with writing and has two plays plus work on scripts for Crossroads and East Enders to her name. “

Read here for the full article.