Karan Gour’s improv dramedy Fairy Folk starring real life husband-wife Mukul Chadda and Rasika Dugal to screen at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 20

The film marks the first ever feature film appearance together for real life husband-wife actor duo Mukul Chadda and Rasika Dugal.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

August 18, 2022 - 3:31 PM IST

One of India’s first improvisational new age fantasy films, Fairy Folk is writer-director Karan Gour’s labour of love after his last much lauded outing Kshay. He is also known for his association with films like Titli, NH10, Natkhat etc. Produced by Annukampa Harsh, Timbuktu Films (actors Nakuul Mehta, Alekh Sangal, filmmaker Ajay Singh), and a few others, the film marks the first ever feature film appearance together for real life husband-wife actor duo Mukul Chadda and Rasika Dugal.

Karan Gour’s improv dramedy Fairy Folk starring real life husband-wife Mukul Chadda and Rasika Dugal to screen at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 20

Talking about her experience working on Fairy Folk, Rasika Dugal says, “Working on an improvised film is an actors delight.This style of shooting gave us the room to explore the many odd things that people do and say when they find themselves in unprecedented situations....the beautiful oddities that sometimes get lost in the need to write a 'logical' script. It was so much fun to play off skilled improvisers. This is the kind of film which is a must have in the life of an actor. I’m so glad that our film is not just screening at the IIFM but is also nominated in the Best Indie Film Category."

Delving further into their Fairy Folk adventure and collaborating with his wife, Mukul Chadda says, “Fairy Folk was a joy to work on. It's unique in its storytelling - a huge splash of magical realism in a part-funny relationship drama; and in its film-making - giving the actors the freedom to improvise every scene completely. I'm thrilled that it's been screened at IFFM, which will allow it to reach audiences in Australia. And I'm doubly excited about Fairy Folk being nominated in the Best Indie Film Category - wish us luck!"

Sharing his thoughts and his expectations, the film director Karan Gour says, “When I wrote the film and shared it with my friends and producers Annukampa and Alekh, they were really excited & rallied all their support around me to make this film happen. I’m glad that my departure from the traditional narrative style was accepted with open arms by our entire team with Mukul and Rasika leading the way. It was incredible working with them and having them add their inputs to every scene and every aspect of their characters taking the improvisational experience to another level. I do hope watching Fairy Folk at IIFM proves to be as fun an experience as we had making it.”

Chiming in to talk about what makes Melbourne and IIFM special, producer Annukampa Harsh says, “I recently read that 'The Story Of the Kelly Gang', considered the world's first full-length narrative feature film, was shot in and around the city of Melbourne, where it also eventually premiered in 1906. Which makes Melbourne extra special and the perfect city for 'Fairy Folk', my first feature as a producer, to find its audience of fellow cinema lovers. "

The synopsis reads, "Thorny questions of love and sexuality take centre stage in this magical realist drama in which a genderless woodland being crashes into the lives of a jaded couple. Squabbling couple Ritika and Mohit have lost their spark, tired of each other’s neuroses and failures. More challenges arise when they discover a genderless being in the woods, which proceeds to casually follow them home. In a bizarre turn, the entity reveals it can shapeshift into a youthful human, mirroring the soul of the last person who showed it kindness. Ritika and Mohit become caught in a sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-catastrophic web of insecurity and desire, as they attempt to create ideal versions of one another. Full of crackling chemistry and an improvisational hang-out feel, Indian director Karan Gour’s fairy-tale is an utterly unique exploration of gender, millennial love and self-transformation."