EXCLUSIVE: OSCAR Front Runner Korean movie PARASITE to be released on 100 screens, 20 cities in India on Jan 31
It’s for the first time in India’s silver screen history a foreign language film with English subtitles is being released pan-India in regular shows from Friday to Thursday.
NEW DELHI: To be released coming Friday, South Korea’s OSCAR nominated film PARASITE is going to be the first-ever foreign language film in India which is being shown pan-India on 100 screens across 20 cities, and that too in regular shows – from Friday to Thursday.
Winner of Palme D’Or at Cannes 2019, this family comedy/thriller, which has already been declared as ‘Film of The Decade’ is all set to change the way the audience sees foreign-language films with English subtitles in India.
“Initially, we planned to release PARASITE on 35 screens in 15 cities in India but later changed to 50, to 75 and to 100 screens and 20 cities all over India. The culture of watching foreign language films is growing in multiplexes in India especially since the last one year. People like to see movies which have generated critical acclaim world over,” said Ashwani Kumar Sharma of Impact Films, Distributor of Foreign Language films that have brought PARASITE to India.
PARASITE has already won several awards at International Platforms and has also been nominated in 6 categories at the upcoming 92nd Academy Awards 2020.
“For the first time, we are releasing this movie in regular shows from Friday to Thursday with one prime show daily, and hope to get a good audience. However, earlier we would release foreign films for one or two shows that too on weekends in India, and there was not much crowd because of the constraint of subtitles. But the situation is improving day by day,” said Sharma adding that this movie was going to be a case study for foreign language films in India.
Sharma hoped PARASITE would set in a trend wherein the consumption for the foreign language films would increase, and it would be eye-openers for the exhibitions that were quite apprehensive of releasing foreign language films in regular shows.
While quoting the movie director Bong Joon-ho, Sharma said, “Once you overcome the barrier of one-and-a-half-inch of subtitles, you will be exposed to great films from all over the world.”
On January 27, Impact Films and Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) organized an exclusive screening of the movie at PVR ICON in Delhi in the presence of Ambassadors, Charge D’Affairs, High Commissioners and other senior diplomats. Shin Bong Kil, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in India and Kim Kum-pyoung, Director, KCCI, were also present to watch the premier.
After the movie premiere, Shin Bong-kil, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in India told Asian Community News (ACN) Network that he had watched this movie for the third time.
“This is the third time I watched this movie, and I really enjoyed it. Prior to this, I watched this movie twice in South Korea only. I hope people in India too enjoy this movie,” said the Ambassador.
The movie PARASITE was in news in November last year too in India when Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had announced on social media platforms that he had watched this movie on the recommendations of his children about a couple of days before his 54th birthday on November 2.
About the movie PARASITE:
Directed and written by Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho, this comedy/thriller has created a buzz the world over and earned the title of Film of the Decade, and was recently nominated in the Best Film and Best Director categories at the Academy Awards 2020.
Parasite tells the story of unemployed Kim Ki-taek (played by Song Kang-ho) and his family who by impersonating themselves grab an opportunity to work with the wealthy and affluent Park family. The film unravels how their lives get entangled, with funny and disastrous consequences. It’s a unique take on class divide and social inequality with a truly universal appeal which is resonating with audiences across the globe.
CAST:
Bong’s favorite actor and superstar of South Korean cinema Song Kang-ho who for his portrayal as Ki-taek has won the Excellence Award at Locarno International Film Festival 2019 and the Best Actor at Director’s Cut Awards and has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at several other festivals.
The ensemble cast includes Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam.
Bong Joon Ho has already given Hollywood hits like Snowpiercer, Host, Memories of Murder, Mother and Okja in the past.
