A glimpse of New India in New York

The New India film festival at the Museum of Modern Art kicked off last Friday in New York. The two-week long programme that ends on June 18 includes features and film shorts that have won acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival and other events, and includes eight New York premieres.

Present at the grand opening were Nandita Das, Abhay Deol, Mira Nair and Oscar-winning producer-director of Smile Pinki Megan Mylan.

The film fest started with the New York premiere of Australian filmmaker Megan Doneman's fascinating look at Kiran Bedi, narrated by veteran British actress Helen Mirren.

Doneman and Bedi introduced the opening night-screening, as they had done at the Toronto International Film Festival last year where the film turned out to be one of the most popular of the more than 300 films.

Among the films being showcased are three Hindi films -- Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodhaa Akbar, Dibakar Banerjee's Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! which its star Abhay Deol introduced, and Luck by Chance.

Nandita Das' directorial debut, Firaaq -- a poignant take on the Gujarat riots -- will get another showing in New York after it was screened in New York last year.

The New India fest also explores some of the devastating problems afflicting India today, from child exploitation and AIDS to sectarian riots and tribal uprooting.

Megan Mylan, whose Oscar-winning documentary Smile Pinki on the trauma faced by those suffering from cleft lip in India, introduced the feature again on Monday.