Aata Vel Zaali (It’s Time to Go),
Directed by Ananth Mahadevan is the 1st film ever to be made on
Active Euthanasia, to release this winter!
Based on the true incidents of the riddle of existentialism in the lives of elderly
people who feel life should have a happy ending, ‘Aata Vel Zaali’, the soon to be
released Marathi film raises several queries that vacillate in the mind of humanity
these days. Written and directed by award-winning Ananth Mahadevan, the film has
a strong casting of legendary artists, including Dilip Prabhavalkar, Rohini Hattangadi,
Bharat Dabholkar, among others, Produced by Dinesh Bansal (Imagine Entertainment
& Media Pvt Ltd)
The film, based on true-life characters and their experience, will be a gripping, funny, yet emotionally inspiring adventure of two inhabitants who pose the most baffling
question on existence yet. Their journey turns out to be an uplifting spiritual
cinematic experience. Produced by Dinesh Bansal (Imagine Entertainment & Media
Pvt Ltd), Ananth Mahadevan (Ananth Mahadevan Films), GK Aggarwal; the film also
has Suresh Vishwakarma, Smita Tambe, Jaywant Wadkar, Abhinav Patekar as other
artists in key roles.
“I always wanted to make the cinema of substance, something that would be socially
relevant and close to life. I found AATA VEL ZALI as an issue that could shake up
every generation and make them rethink life and existence all over again. Besides, it
is a subject that has never been debated before. All of which made it an ideal
film, to begin with,” said Producer Dinesh Bansal.
“In a way, it is the other side of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand. Here the issue is of
not laughing at death but smiling through the end of life. Active euthanasia was a
subject that struck me during the pandemic when the world began to look at life and
death differently. Even the youth began to have a more pragmatic view of life than a
materialistic one. Preview/ festival audiences all over the world vindicated this when
they were numbed into silence after the film, and along with the tears of the elderly,
the youth admitted that this was a viewpoint to be considered seriously,” said Ananth
Narayan Mahadevan, who is in the triple role as writer, director and producer of the
film.
‘Aata Vel Zaali’ has already been selected for many international festivals like Dallas
International Film Festival, Pune International Film Festival (Best Actor), Rajasthan
International Film Festival (Best Film and Best Director) and popular Jagran Film
Festival.
Pradeep Khanvilkar is the cinematographer of the film, while Kush Tripathy, Ananth
Narayan Mahadevan has edited it. Sync Sound & Sound Design is by Bhagat Singh
Rathod, while Background Score is by Sanjoy Chowdhary. Aparna Shah has
shouldered the responsibility of the Costumes, while the Marathi adaptation is by
Mahendra PATIL.
Anant Mahadevan is an Indian national award-winning film director for Mee Sindhutai
Sapkal (2010) and is known in the industry for his acclaimed films like Gour Hari
Dastaan: The Freedom File, Rough Book, Doctor Rakhmabai. All these films are
official selections at several international Film festivals. His Mai Ghat: Crime No
103/2005 (2020) has been the Indian Broadcasting Ministry’s selection from India for
the Marche Du Film section of the Cannes Film Festival.
His film ‘Bittersweet’ was an Official Selection at the Busan International Film.
Festival in 2020 and was nominated for the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award. His new
film ‘The Storyteller’ is an adaptation of Satyajit Ray’s original Bengali story and is an
Official Selection in Competition at the Busan International Film Festival and the
IFFI[Goa] in 2022.
His first book, Once Upon a Prime Time, has got rave reviews and awards. It is about
his 40 years in Indian television.
