A talented pool of actors is all set to entertain you on November 18 with the upcoming romantic comedy film Stars In Her Eyes. Featuring some of the popular faces from New Zealand’s art arena, such as Colin-Mathura Jeffree and Tarun Mohanbhai, along with many new artists, the film is set in Auckland’s Indian community.
The cast of the movie recently visited the Indian Weekender office. We spoke to them to find out about more about the story.
Anousha, played by Leila Alexander, is pushing 30, in poor shape, without a real job and is basically a full-time caregiver for her mother.
Talking about her character, Leila says, “Anousha has never had a boyfriend. In fact, she's never been kissed. We're introduced to Anousha at a turning point on her journey of self-discovery.”
Her hunt for true love comes to an end with Raj—played by Vinay Chinni— who is an attractive Indian bank teller, and the story further progresses as she tries to fix a date with him.
“One thing that I admire about Anousha is that I believe she has a kind heart and is often misunderstood and blamed by others, but she is deeply loyal,” adds Leila.
Colin, who says that he enjoyed working on the movie, asserts that it is a type of movie that he believes everyone will enjoy. He plays the role of Anousha’s older brother Sanj, who is a cricketer.
“When the script was given to me, I read it, laughed and thought ‘yeah, I want to be a part of this’. I think anyone from the Indian community would relate to the story,” says Colin.
Negin Allaverdi Gorji, who plays Anoushka’s sister Laxmi, is a sassy, ‘Ms perfect’ older sister. She is successful and portrays the ideal Indian daughter. Negin says that she had initially auditioned for the role of Anousha but was selected for Laxmi’s character, as she was a perfect fit for the role.
Another well-known face in Auckland for comedy, Tarun Mohanbhai, who plays Raj’s close friend, says that it was fun working on the film and believes that the audience would have even more fun watching it.
Leila, a soon-to-be lawyer, says that she related well with her character, as they both have a lot in common. “We are both similar in many ways. Like Anousha, I have grown up in a family with strong Indian values. We may not have spoken an Indian language at home, but there was always an emphasis on family and selflessness. Like every young woman, there have been times when I have struggled with my image, my weight, and my self-esteem. I like to think that these challenging journeys make life interesting,” she said.
She further shares that her interest in performing arts brought this film to her. Although she had never acted professionally, she has a natural appreciation for acting, which she wishes to continue doing in the future as well.
“Having been in law school for the past few years and shooting the film during my law exams, I had to put my new-found interest in acting on hold. However, I am interested in future acting roles and enjoy Bollywood films, so you never know, I may end up acting in India!” says Leila.
Talking about the movie’s appeal for an Indian audience, Tarun says that the film is “in general a really good rom-com and Indian people would especially really relate to it”.
Starring many new faces from the Indian community, Stars in Her Eyes is the launching ground for many new careers. Auckland film-maker Athina Tsoulis, who brings this feel-good movie, provided a 'real world' learning opportunity for more than a hundred Unitec students who worked alongside seasoned members from the industry in the production of the film.
The film will be premiered at Sky City on November 18 and the cast and crew invites everyone to come and join them. The tickets are available for $15 from Ticketek. More information can be found at www.starsinhereyesmovie.com