New Delhi: Kalki Koechlin-starrer ‘Ruhani & Dolma’, which has been produced, written and directed by Chandni Varma, will have its world premiere at the 21st Tasveer Film Festival and Market in Seattle, where it will screen as part of the festival’s Moonless Ghamelas programme.
Tasveer Film Festival is known for bringing together bold and diverse stories from South Asia and its diaspora.
‘Ruhani & Dolma' follows Dr Ruhani Rolani, a celebrated quantum physicist who is on the verge of proving the controversial theory of parallel universes. At a pivotal moment in her life, however, her professional ambitions and personal world begin to unravel, forcing her to question not only the science she has devoted her life to, but also her own understanding of existence.
Kalki said that when Varma approached her with the story about parallel universes, she got her attention immediately.
"'Ruhani and Dolma' is a film about what happens when ego is replaced by curiosity, the delicate balance between proof and faith, between knowledge and intuition, between new discoveries and ancient practices. It’s also a film about love, and the non-linear way in which we can fall back into feeling deeply, without warning, and with no regard for the passage of time," the ‘Made in Heaven' star said in a statement.
"Having 'Ruhani & Dolma' premiere at Tasveer, a festival that has created such a unique space for South Asian filmmakers and stories, is tremendously special to me, particularly because it allows the film to meet a global audience.
"This is a film that comes from a very personal curiosity about the unseeming similarities between science and spirituality and the questions that continue to fascinate us about the universe, existence, and what may lie beyond what we can see, "Varma said in a statement.
Actor Namit Das said Varma was one of the most sensitive directors he had worked with in recent times.
"I mean, this story could have only come from her. I’m not saying that it is her
personal story, but at some level, she has lived it, and that’s what made me feel so connected to her writing. Being directed by her felt like being an instrument through which she could express her words. I’m so happy when I get to collaborate with artists like her, artists who bring such honesty, sensitivity, and lived experience to their work.”