Ashim Ahluwalia

Ashim Ahluwalia is a Mumbaibased filmmaker whose provocative genrebending films have helped define a new wave of Indian cinema His directorial debut JOHN JANE premiered at the Toronto and Berlin film festivals in 2006 and became the first Indian film to receive a theatrical release from HBO Films His second feature MISS LOVELY 2012 premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and unearthed Indias underground sex horror cinema while also reviving forgotten figures like disco singer Rupa In 2017 he directed DADDY an unorthodox biopic based on the true story of Arun Gawli a feared underworld don still alive and serving time in a maximumsecurity prison The film marked a bold break from formula with critics calling Ahluwalia the newage godfather that Indian gangster films desperately need Poulomi Das Arre His short EVENTS IN A CLOUD CHAMBER shot entirely on Super 8 film and reimagining modernist painter Akbar Padamsees lost 1969 experimental film premiered at the Venice Film Festival Ahluwalias contribution to the folkhorror anthology THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL 2018 premiered at SXSW and was distributed in the United States by Neon His first series CLA produced for Netflix was released in 2023 Though a global hit the show retained Ahluwalias preoccupation with social disparity and the dark underbelly of modern India focusing on the collision between workingclass students and the ultrarich Ahluwalia is the only Indian director to have had his work premiere in the official selections of Cannes Berlin Venice Toronto and SXSW Sight and Sounds Jonathan Romney described him as a very impressive talent He was named one of the ten best emerging film directors working today by Phaidon Press in Take 100 The Future of Film