Bollywood: Big Screens + Streaming
A Showcase of Contemporary Film & TV from India

ADMISSION:
Admission is free. Reservations required. RSVP at links in schedule below.

DESCRIPTION:
How is the world’s largest film industry and media audience changing at a time when streaming content transforms the stakes of theatrical releases? With hugely popular big screen features plus international streaming shows that capture India’s explosive class divisions, extravagant wealth, crushing prejudices, and exuberant rebellion in the nation’s small towns and big cities, Excel Entertainment is a media company that has successfully bridged multiple platforms.

The USC School of Cinematic Arts and USC Visions and Voices invite you to a three-day showcase of contemporary Bollywood film and television, plus conversations with the co-founder of Excel Entertainment Ritesh Sidhwani and his leading collaborators: the path-breaking showrunner/writer/director Zoya Akhtar, innovative music composer Ankur Tewari, and eminent film directors Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Rahul Dholakia. Watch their iconic big screen releases, including Gully Boy, which tells the story of a Dharavi street rapper; Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, India’s high-grossing biopic about Milkha “The Flying Sikh” Singh; Raees, a powerful crime drama headlined by the inimitable Shah Rukh Khan; and the recent highly anticipated online releases Dahaad and The Archies. Hosted by SCA professor Priya Jaikumar, this event offers a front-seat take on the rise of global digital media from the spectacular vantage point of Bollywood’s big screens and streaming shows, as we hear from those who have transformed the stories, the look, and the sounds of Hindi cinema.

Schedule:

SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2024
Norris Cinema Theatre
University Park Campus

1 p.m.: Screening of Gully Boy - RSVP
A coming-of-age story based on the lives of street rappers in Mumbai. Running time: 154 minutes.
4 p.m.: Industry Panel Discussion #1 - RSVP
Featuring Ritesh Sidhwani, co-founder of Excel Entertainment and creative director and producer of Gully Boy and Raees; Zoya Akhtar, co-founder of Tiger Baby Films and writer, director, and producer of Gully Boy and The Archies; and Ankur Tewari, music composer of Gully Boy and The Archies, in conversation with Priya Jaikumar, USC School of Cinematic Arts professor and Chair of Cinema and Media Studies.
5:30 p.m.: Screening of The Archies - RSVP
Set in 1960s India, Archie and the gang navigate romance, friendship, and the future of Riverdale as developers threaten to destroy a beloved park. Running time: 143 minutes.

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2024
Michelle & Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre, RZC 119
3131 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90007

7 p.m.: Screening of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - RSVP
The truth behind the ascension of Milkha “The Flying Sikh” Singh, who was scarred because of the India-Pakistan partition. The story shows his loss in the 400-meter finals at the 1960 Olympics. Running time: 186 minutes.

FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2024
Norris Cinema Theatre
University Park Campus

12 p.m.: Screening of Raees - RSVP
A bootlegger sets out to improve his community as a promising leader but falls in a political trap. Running time: 143 minutes.
3 p.m.: Industry Panel Discussion #2 - RSVP
Featuring Ritesh Sidhwani, co-founder of Excel Entertainment and creative director and producer of Gully Boy and Raees; Rakeysh Mehra, writer and director of Raees; and Rahul Dholakia, director and producer of Bhaag Milka Bhaag, in conversation with Priya Jaikumar, USC School of Cinematic Arts professor and Chair of Cinema and Media Studies.
4:30 p.m.: Screening of Dahaad: Episode 1 - Missing Women - RSVP
A case of a missing woman is brought to the attention of the cops at the Mandawa Police Station. Officer Devi Singh puts his two best cops, Sub-Inspectors Anjali Bhaati and Kailash Parghi on the job. Running time: 58 minutes. Catered reception to follow, including a live performance by musician and composer Ankur Tewari. 

Presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Excel Entertainment, Tiger Baby, and USC Visions and Voices.