‘Margarita With A Straw’ Tackles Disability, LGBT Issues, and More

FEATURING SHONALI BOSE and KALKI KOECHLIN – When asked about Indian cinema, most Americans think of stereotypical Bollywood films that involve cheesy dialogue and titillating song-and-dance sequences. Now a new film emerging from Bollywood has all the superficial similarities of drama, song, and dance, but with a much more nuanced and socially conscious plot line. Margarita With a Straw features a young woman named Laila as its protagonist. What Laila wants most is to have a relationship, to experience physical intimacy. Laila also has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. The film traces her path from India to the US, from a heterosexual relationship to a lesbian love affair, and, most of all, the yearning for joy and life that any young person seeks as they are coming of age. Winner of 33 international awards (including Best Asian Film at TIFF), Margarita With a Straw is releasing in select theaters in the US. For Los Angeles audiences, check listings at the Arena Theater.

Writer/Director Shonali Bose will do a Q and A after the following showtimes:

fri 20th –  7 40pm ( at 7pm – a free beer and wine reception precedes the show)
sat 21st  – 4pm
sun 22nd –  5 25pm.

Find out more about the movie HERE and watch the trailer here.

Shonali Bose, award winning film maker, director, screenwriter and producer. Her earlier film Amu was released to critical acclaim. Her newest film, which will be out in theaters in the US, is called Margarita With A Straw, and it has won numerous awards including Best Script award at the Sundance Festival Writer’s lab. Joining her is acclaimed Indian actress Kalki Koechlin who plays the lead role of Laila in Margarita With a Straw for which she has won multiple awards. Koechlin is known for her outspoken views on women’s rights in India.