Forbidden Tikka Masala [Shorts Session 3]
Forbidden Tikka Masala is a coming-of-old-age story that follows a devoutly religious vegetarian who finds a new lease on life after mistakenly eating chicken at her retirement party.
Canadian Screen Awards nominated Balinder Johal (Beeba Boys, Heaven on Earth) stars as Gayatri, a devoutly religious vegetarian Indian woman who mistakenly eats chicken at her retirement party. Her life is thrown into chaos when she can’t get the succulent taste out of her mind. Already challenged with adjusting to her new retired life, Gayatri struggles to find her place in her family’s hectic schedule. Resolving herself to her new cravings, Gayatri’s search for the chicken recipe takes her on an adventure that will forever change her.
Director
Rahul Chaturvedi is an Indo-Canadian filmmaker. He won Toronto Reel Asian’s Pitch Competition in 2016 and 2018, and was selected one of ReelWorld Festival’s Emerging 20 filmmakers in 2017. He is currently developing his next short, ‘Namaste, Santa!’ and turning ‘Forbidden Tikka Masala’ into a feature film.
Luisa is a film professional working within the Canadian and International film community. She’s passionate about diversity and inclusion and the power that film has to bridge these gaps. She has experience in producing both theatre and film and has served as a script consultant on several projects still in
development. Her producer credits include several Shakespeare stage plays, and musicals as well as producing and co-writing a musical that went to the Toronto Fringe Festival. Most recently she was co-writer and associate producer on Forbidden Tikka Masala, which won Reel Asian’s 2016 Pitching Competition and has been screened at several festivals worldwide.
Balinder Johal is an Indo-Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the films of Deepa Mehta, including Heaven on Earth, for which she was a Leo Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress in 2009, and Beeba Boys, for which she garnered a Canadian Screen Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards in 2016.
Precious Chong is an actress and writer, who has acted in “Amelia” starring Hillary Swank and directed by Mira Nair. Other film and television credits include “LA Confidential”, “Pearl Harbor”, “Show Me Yours”, “Strong Medicine”, and “According to Spencer”. Her latest film, “Homewrecker” premiered at the 2019 Fantasia International Film Festival. She’s a graduate of the improv troupe The Groundlings in Los Angeles.
Director’s Note: I was inspired to write Forbidden Tikka Masala after witnessing the struggles of women in the South Asian diaspora trying to adjust to the fast paced and often fragmented life in a new culture and the loneliness this brings. In my hometown of Brampton, Canada, an area with a large South Asian population, I’ve witnessed the struggles that aging immigrant women face as they enter a new stage of life. This prompted me to write a story where a retired immigrant lady finds strength in the unlikeliest of places – a chicken curry recipe.
Festivals/Awards
Edmonton International Film Festival; Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Festival (HAAPIFest) [Winner Audience Choice]; Toronto Short Film Festival [Winner Best Comedy Short]; Toronto Short Film Festival [Winner Audience Choice]; Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival; Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival; Florence River to River Film Festival; New York Indian Film Festival; Asian American International Film Festival