“Parched,” a story of female empowerment by Leena Yadav continues to rule the film festivals especially by opening the seventh Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival on 14th of July. She is one of seven female directors with films unspooling in the program.

“Toba Tek Singh,” the story of Punjabi lunatics locked up during the Partition, from Ketan Mehta concludes the festival on July 24. Both London and Birmingham will show the films.

The program covers films from not only India, but also neighboring Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka in 15 different languages.

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A documentary on superstar Rajnikanth: “For the Love of a Man”; a transgender tale by B.S. Lingadevaru: “I Am Not He … She,”; “A Girl in the River” by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy; Sri Lanka’s Kalpana & Vindana Ariyawansa presents “Dirty, Yellow, Darkness,”; “Brahman Naman” from director Qaushiq Mukherjee; and Jayaraj’s Berlin Crystal Bear winner “The Trap” are among the other highlights of the festival.

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Leena Yadav, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Rinku Kalsy will talk about their challenges and stints as female directors, while Shekhar Kapur, Kamal Hassan and Sharmila Tagore will provide lectures on being famous auteurs and masters.

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The festival will also organize its Satyajit Ray Short Film competition with a prize of £1,000, in association with the Bagri Foundation.

“We aim to showcase films that entertain but challenge and make one think about the many social issues happening in India today, and that includes many positive changes including the fact that so many emerging Indian women filmmakers who are producing world-class films that are giving their male counterparts a serious run for their money,” said Cary Rajinder Sawhney, director of the Bagri Foundation London.