Listen Amaya

ENTERTAINMENT/SYNOPSIS

Listen Amaya synopsis

Book a coffee, is an offbeat library cum coffee shop. It is owned and run by Leela Krishnamoorthy, a middle aged widow. She herself is as interesting and free spirited as the café she runs! Amaya, Leela’s only child is a fire-brand 22 year-old writer; quick witted, confident and open-minded. They adore each other as only mother daughter can.

Into this mix, is thrown Jayant Sinha. A 60 year old retired photographer, who continues his chosen profession as a hobby today. He is passionate about people and the memories they create; he is also a great friend to Amaya Krishnamoorthy, with whom he decides to co-author a coffee table book, titled Memories…of The Busy Bazaar. The Busy Bazaar as a title has it’s own story and adds a subtle but intriguing undercurrent to the narrative woven around it.

Listen Amaya is a modern, young, contemporary film about relationships, family dynamics, about pre-conceptions and about priorities. It encapsulates a simple thought that, one does not stop living for the future, on the back of memories one has of the past.

Festivals and Awards:

1. Listen Amaya played as the closing film at the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest (NJISACF) on the 7th of October at Edison, where it bagged the top honours in the competition section. Listen Amaya was awarded the Best Film and Best Director at the festival and the awards were collected by Deepti Naval on behalf of the team.

2. Listen Amaya was also invited and played at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF), as the centerpiece film on the 22nd of September to a sold out and packed theater of over 270 people in downtown Chicago. People unable to get seating also chose to sit on the floors of the aisles to watch the film, post which was a Q&A session with Farouque Shaikh and Avinash Kumar Singh.

Director's note

Why should anyone invest even an hour and forty minutes of their lives to so much as go watch Listen Amaya; leave alone the countless hours scores of people have invested in it, to get it made in the first place? I’ve  really never ever managed to come up with an intellectual enough sounding answer, which would make either Geeta or me look (or sound), ‘evolved’ or ‘forward thinking’ or even ‘new age’ enough!

Pity. What an opportunity lost!

There is no huge social message buried in the story of Listen Amaya. There is no agenda that is to be achieved and there is absolutely no malice or cheating in the narrative of these character’s lives. It is just a simple story where the characters connect with you, because they could be your neighbors, your parents or even friends of yours.

This film stands dedicated to the many Jayant’s and Leela’s who deserve the chance to be unshackled from the chains of their memories, so that they may live the rest of their lives, surrounded by love, happiness and companionship. 

“Art imitates life??    I sure hope so.

Director's Bio 

Avinash Kumar Singh is one half of a filmmaker couple that helm their production company Turtle on a Hammock Films. Listen Amaya is his debut feature film as a director, conceived and co-written with his wife Geeta Singh, who also edited the film. Basic emotions such as anger, love, pain, loneliness and happiness are very powerful to witness and excite the couple as filmmakers. Listen Amaya was borne of that same observation.  

The couple is currently gearing up for a theatrical release of Listen Amaya, while also simultaneously working on their second feature story, diametrically different in feel, flavour and style from their debut film.

Producer's note (Mr  Ashok Sawhny)

Listen Amaya is, in today’s context with the changed mores and social norms, very relevant to the times. I thought it would also put in perspective the issues involved, and so beautifully depicted in the film, from the standpoints of both Farouque Sheikh and Deepti Naval, living single lives, and the impact of circumstances on the lives of the younger generation. 

I am very happy to be involved with Listen Amaya. It has been a great experience to me watching the film being made and then the end result of a great effort.

 In two words "Simply Beautiful."