From international award winners to new directorial ventures, here are 12 films having their Indian premiere at MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival, being held in Mumbai from October 19-24.

Anora

Directed by: Sean Baker

Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian

Anora is a romantic comedy drama starring Mikey Madison as Ani, an Uzbek-American exotic dancer in Brooklyn who is paid by Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a Russian oligarch, to be his girlfriend. When they run away to Las Vegas, Vanya’s parents find out about their marriage through social media and set their henchmen on the duo’s tail. A chaotic night follows as Ani and Vanya confront their feelings while trying to annul their marriage. Anora won the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.

Despatch

Directed by: Kanu Behl

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Abhishek Bhalerao, Shahana Goswami, Rituparna Sen, Parvati Sehgal

In Kanu Behl’s gripping investigative thriller Despatch, Manoj Bajpayee plays a tabloid journalist, Joy Bag, facing a mid-life crisis as digitalisation poses a serious threat to his career. But Joy’s luck changes when he pursues a small-time criminal, leading him into a murky corporate-political conspiracy that could shake the city’s foundations.

Ghamasaan

Directed by: Tigmanshu Dhulia

Cast: Pratik Gandhi, Arshad Warsi, Ishita Dutta, Rajpal Yadav

This is the tale of IPS officer Aditya (Pratik Gandhi), who’s known for his integrity but also has the smarts to outwit a treacherous superior and seek justice for his fallen colleagues. Amidst the fear instilled by the ruthless outlaw Maharaj (Arshad Warsi) in Bundelkhand, Aditya struggles to secure support for his team. Equipped with innovative strategies and a team of determined commandos, SSP Aditya takes down the dreaded outlaw.

Go Noni Go

Directed by: Sonal Dabral

Cast: Dimple Kapadia, Ayesha Raza, Manav Kaul

Based on Twinkle Khanna’s short story Salaam Noni Appa, Sonal Dabral’s Go Noni Go features Dimple Kapadia and Ayesha Raza as two sisters who are poles apart. The middle-aged Noni (Dimple Kapadia) tastes unexpected happiness when she falls for her yoga teacher, Anand (Manav Kaul). This becomes a bone of contention between her and her carefree sister, Binni (Ayesha Raza), as Noni and Anand’s unconventional romance challenges societal norms and expectations.

My Melbourne

Directed by: Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan, Onir, Rima Das

Cast: Arka Das, Ryanna Lawson, Arushi Sharma, Setara Amiri

Set in Melbourne, this anthology film presents four stories inspired by true events. In Onir’s Nandini, a queer Indian man, Indraneel (Arka Das), reconnects with his estranged father as they come together for a ceremonial ritual. The film touches upon themes of reconciliation and the strength of forgiveness.

In Imtiaz Ali’s Jules, Sakshi (Arushi Sharma), a newly married woman, strikes up a friendship with a homeless person. Rima Das’s Emma follows a gifted deaf dancer (Ryanna Lawson) fighting self-doubt and prejudice until a chance meeting with another deaf dancer reignites her passion. In Kabir Khan’s Setara, a 15-year-old Afghan girl (Setara Amiri) begins to rebuild her life through cricket after escaping the Taliban.

Puratawn

Directed by: Suman Ghosh

Cast: Sharmila Tagpre, Rituparna Sengupta, Indraneil Sengupta

Ritika (Ritruparna Sengupta) and her husband Rajeev (Indraneil Sengupta) travel to her family home in West Bengal to celebrate her mother’s (Sharmila Tagore) 80th birthday. Upon arriving, Ritika realises that her mother is not the person she had always known. Although this discovery shocks her at first, Ritika gradually accepts her mother’s condition and the fact that it cannot be changed.

The Substance

Directed by: Coralie Fargeat

Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid

This is a satirical body horror film revolving around Elisabeth Sparkle, a once-famous actress who’s been sacked from her TV show due to her age. Elisabeth comes across The Substance, a black market serum that can create a younger version of herself. This new persona, named Sue, quickly becomes a sensation, but the two bodies must switch every seven days to avoid rapid ageing. Tensions rise between the two versions as they begin to see themselves as separate individuals. The Substance premiered at the 77th Cannes Films Festival where Fargeat won the award for best screenplay.

Girls Will Be Girls

Directed by: Shuchi Talati

Cast: Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron

Girls Will Be Girls is an Indo-French coming-of-age drama directed and written by Shuchi Talati. It is set in a boarding school in the Himalayan foothills and is woven around the teenage Mira as she deals with her romantic feelings for a charismatic new student and her often tense relationship with her protective mother.

Santosh

Directed by: Sandhya Suri

Cast: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Sanjay Bishnoi, Kushal Dubey

Sandhya Suri makes her directorial debut with Santosh, a crime drama which is an international collaboration between the UK, India, Germany and France. Shahana Goswami plays a widow who takes on her late husband’s role as a police constable. Santosh premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. It was also chosen as the UK’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

The Shameless

Directed by: Konstantin Bojanov

Cast: Anasuya Sengupta, Omara

The Shameless is a crime drama film that premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The plot revolves around Renuka (Anasuya Sengupta), who escapes from a brothel in Delhi after killing a police officer. She finds refuge in a sex workers’ community and begins a relationship with Devika (Omara), a 17-year-old prostitute. Anasuya Sengupta’s performance earned her the Performance Award in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

The Room Next Door

Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alessandro Nivola

The Room Next Door is a Spanish drama directed and written by Pedro Almodóvar, and adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through. The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion. The story follows Ingrid and Martha, once close friends who worked together at a magazine, as they reconnect after many years. Their reunion takes place in a challenging yet unexpectedly tender situation.

Blind Spot (Chashma)

Directed by: Nitin Baid

Cast: Konkona Sensharma, Ayan Khan, Kabir Shah, Shafeen Patel, Shishir Sharma, Vijay Shrivastava

Editor Nitin Baid, known for his work in Gully Boy and Masaan, steps into the director’s chair with Blind Spot (Chashma). This short film offers a unique perspective on a young boy’s path to self-discovery and the obstacles he encounters. The trailer of Chashma begins with the boy gradually adjusting his vision, slowly becoming aware of the world around him. As the story unfolds, we follow his journey through school and family dynamics.