Vikram Phadnis’ Pal Bhar Ke Liye to premiere at IFFM on August 16

Vikram Phadnis' Hindi directorial debut, Pal Bhar Ke Liye, will have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 16. The film, starring Saiyami Kher, Viineet Kumar Siingh and Tahir Raj Bhasin, is based on the last four years of Phadnis' mother's life, but is dedicated to his father, who died last year. "The film is about my mother but it is for my father," Phadnis told Bollywood Hungama exclusively from Melbourne.

Saiyami Kher, who returns to IFFM after her film Ghoomer opened the festival last year, told Hindustan Times that the role challenged her. "Pal Bhar Ke Liye really moved me," she said, adding that the film, about a fashion photographer whose life changes in an instant, made her "slow down and think about my life personally." Phadnis praised Kher's "hunger to prove" and said he cast Viineet Kumar Siingh after being impressed by his work in Chhaava. The film's music is composed by Himesh Reshammiya. "He has done magic in the film," Phadnis said.

Phadnis called the IFFM selection a "validation" and said he would decide on the film's Indian release after discussions with producers. "We want the world to absorb the film," he told Bollywood Hungama. Kher noted the team is more relaxed this time: "We are going in, watching other films, and attending the festival properly."