Kranti Kanade’s unconventional CRD to be released on 29 September: Watch trailer

Filmmaker Kranti Kanade’s CRD, a bilingual in English and Hindi, has been making the rounds of international film festivals since last year. It was recently screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and the London Film Festival (LFF).

The film will be released in India on 29 September. 

Starring Saurabh Saraswat as Chetan Ranjit Deshmukh (hence the title), the film is about a young dramatist who rebels against his fascist teacher Mayank (Vinay Sharma) and aims to win a prestigious theatre competition in Pune (said to be inspired by the Purushottam Karandak competition). The film also stars Mrinmayee Godbole in a pivotal role. She was last seen this year in the Marathi film Chi Va Chi Sau Ka.

The trailer of CRD indicates that this is one of the most unconventional films to hit the Indian screens after last year’s Marathi film Kaul: A Calling. The trailer is full of beautiful frames with vibrant colours. It also uses nudity creatively without making it sleazy.

The Hollywood Reporter magazine, in its review, describes CRD thus: “The film, whose title consists of a central character’s initials, is finally a celebration of artistic identity, and one that’s devoid of sentimentality or self-congratulation.” The Los Angeles Times newspaper said, “Though there’s never a smooth path toward narrative or emotional enlightenment as you watch CRD, Kanade’s willingness to explore the creative impulse through impish experimentation is amusing and infectious.”

Kanade's Mahek was released in 2007. He also has Gandhi Of The Month, starring Hollywood veteran Harvey Keitel, which is as yet unreleased. His short film Chaitra won three National awards for Best Short Film, Best Music and Special Jury Award for Acting to Sonali Kulkarni and two awards at the Mumbai International Film Festival.

You can watch the trailer of CRD here: