US Premier

Q&A with director Indu Krishnan

Deftly composed, smart, and socially-engaged, SF-based Indu Krishnan’s doc chronicles five years in the tumultuous life of Zakhir, a gentle soul who lives on the streets of Bangalore (India’s Silicon Valley). He survives on the margins, recycling plastic and garbage, and drinks himself to sleep at night, to escape the violence that comes with homelessness.

Following Zakhir’s filmi dreams to direct a fantasy blockbuster, Indu reveals a hidden city that thrives on the margins of conspicuous consumption. However, a darker story lies in the offing: Zakhir goes missing part way through the shoot, and Indu discovers that he is in jail on a murder charge.

Should she bail him out? Should she insert herself into his story? Good Guy Bad Guy navigates these troubled terrains with refreshing compassion and integrity.

“The camera follows Indu and Zahkir through the mad color and bizarre social schisms of the city as they participate in each other’s filmmaking dreams.”
– Indira Chandrashekar, (Author of Polymorphisms, Harper Collins/2017)