Weekend Indian Cinema – Reconnect with Stories

Darbar Culture 2025

Immerse yourself in extraordinary tales that span borders and traditions. Our festival cinema is a celebration of South Asian narratives — thought-provoking, heartfelt, and absolutely unmissable.
 

INDUS BLUES: 3.00 pm Sat 2 – Sun 3 Aug | Free
Jawad Sharif’s superb Indus Blues is a musical feature documentary highlighting the plight of the folk musicians and craftsmen of Pakistan and the state of their dying art.
Discover the hauntingly beautiful yet endangered music of Pakistan in this award-winning documentary. Witness the struggles of folk musicians striving to keep their art alive against the odds. 

INTEZAR FARMAIYE (STAY TUNED): 5.30pm Sat 2 – Sun 3 Aug | Free
A quirky slice of life that captures the humour and complexities of modern relationships and shifting identities. This delightful watch will leave you smiling and reflective.
A journey through time of Pakistan’s tumultuous history seen across the TV screen through the eyes of three generations where times do change but people have the same misguided mindset of believing the media and blaming the other person instead of looking unto themselves for reflections and betterment. 

THE LUNCHBOX: 1pm Sat 2 Aug | From £5.50
Trying to add some spice to her marriage, housewife Ila prepares a special lunchbox to be delivered to her husband at work. Unbeknownst to her, it is mistakenly delivered to another office worker, Saajan, a lonely man on the verge of retirement. Curious about the lack of reaction from her husband, Ila puts a little note in the following day’s lunchbox, in the hopes of getting to the bottom of the mystery. This begins a series of lunchbox notes between Saajan and Ila which blossoms into an unexpected friendship. Gradually, their notes become little confessions about their loneliness, memories, regrets, fears, and even small joys. They each discover a new sense of self and find an anchor to hold on to in the big city of Mumbai. Still strangers physically, Ila and Saajan become lost in a virtual relationship that could jeopardise both their realities. 

Join us on this final day of Darbar’s Culture Festival to disconnect from the digital, reconnect with yourself and celebrate stories that cross continents and hearts. 

Come as you are, and leave transformed.