Ferena’s back, and coloured with passion

Ferena Wazeir debuted in Bollywood with Raj Kanwar’s Sadiyaan in early 2010 opposite Shatrughan Sinha’s son, Luv Sinha. The film sank without a trace. But Wazeir, a UK-based actress of Kashmiri and Scottish lineage, has moved on since. She will next be seen in Rang Rasiya, based on the life story of celebrated Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma, set in the 1890s. The film will be screened at the London Indian Film Festival 2011 that begins 30 June and ends 12 July. [caption id=“attachment_33541” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Ferena will next be seen in Rang Rasiya, based on the life story of celebrated Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma.”]  [/caption] The festival will open with a red carpet World Premiere of heist comedy Delhi Belly starring Imran Khan, at 6.30 pm, at Cineworld Haymarket. But 1 July is Wazeir’s red-letter day. That’s when Rang Rasiya (Colours of Passion) will be screened at the Victoria &Albert (V&A) museum, in sync with the ongoing V&A’s Cult of Beauty exhibition. The choice of venue is apt given that the film, directed by Ketan Mehta, follows the life of a painter who was obsessed with beautiful women and idolised images of Hindu gods and goddesses. Instead of Varma’s paintings, the museum will host an installation performance by Akademi, where young Indian women, dressed as the painter’s goddesses will pose throughout the V&A galleries. “I am very excited about Rang Rasiya being screened at the fest. It is going to be fabulous watching it with so many legendary filmmakers and creative talent from all over the world!” says Wazeir. Randeep Hooda plays Varma in the film that explores Varma’s sexually charged obsession with his muse, played by Nandana Sen, and his arrest, as he ends up in the court of the British, charged with blasphemy. This is the second edition of the fest. “We think of India as a state of mind, with its huge spectrum of identities, its admirers, its neighbours and the vast number of people around the world who connect to it, including British Asians. LIFF’S heady cocktail of films are as unpredictable as the London summer, but we promise that whatever movie you decide to attend, you’ll leave entertained, surprised and perhaps even a little shocked,” says Festival Director Cary Rajinder Sawhney. Well, Rang Rasiya seems ready to shock already. Learn more about the London Indian Film Festival here.