By Erin Free

After directing the 2019 short Yaman, working in the second unit on major projects like Knock Out and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, serving as an assistant and dialogue coach to actor Dev Patel on Hotel Mumbai and The Man Who Knew Infinity, and producing the busy actor’s latest film Monkey Man, Raghuvir Joshi has certainly made his way around the film industry. Now he takes a major step upwards with his first feature film Sahela, a powerful story of love and community set in Sydney’s large, vibrant but rarely-seen-on-screen Indian diaspora. The film focuses on Vir (British actor Antonio Aakeel from the acclaimed drama Slow Horses) and Nitya (Indian/US actress Anula Navlekar), a young, seemingly happily married couple moving onwards and upwards in their careers, much to the delight of their highly involved and somewhat overbearing parents. Despite his beautiful wife’s enthusiasm and his success at work, Vir is strangely distant, listless and uninvolved. Eventually, after much soul searching, Vir makes a shocking decision that will send everyone around him into an emotional freefall.

Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar in Sahela

Sahela feels so authentic. Is the film autobiographical in any way?

“Thank you for watching the film! It’s auto-fictional, drawing from my personal journey of self-discovery. While the emotional essence is autobiographical, the characters and setting are situated within the South Asian diaspora of Sydney.”

Considering our large Indian population, and the huge popularity of Indian cinema, are you surprised we see so few local representations of the Indian community?

“I’m hopeful that films like Sahela can serve as a catalyst for more Indian/South Asian narratives in Australia. Our community boasts a vibrant culture and rich heritage, deserving of greater representation on screen.”

Antonio Aakeel and Anula Navlekar in Sahela

Was it tough getting the film up? It is for most local films!

“Bringing an indie film to life is always a challenge, especially one with such a unique subject and without big-name stars. However, I was fortunate to have producers like Tayyab Madni (PWA) and Radhika Lavu (Ellanar), who believed in my vision from the outset.”

Antonio and Anula are just exquisite. Can you talk a little about them?

“Aren’t they beautiful!? I was so lucky to find my two leads via our casting directors. Anula’s tape came through my Indian casting agent, while Antonio was through Faith Martin in Australia. We went through a lot of auditions and finally found these two brilliant actors. After which they did another round of chemistry reads. Also, I cast them over Zoom as we were in three different countries – Anula was in New York, Antonio was in London, and I was in Mumbai. We met in person only when the film went into pre-production.”

Antonio Aakeel in Sahela

The sex scenes in the film are so raw and so intimate…how difficult were those scenes to achieve?

“Filming intimate scenes is always a delicate process, but thorough preparation, including weeks of intimacy workshops led by our coach, Chloe Dallimore, helped create a comfortable environment on set. Trust and understanding among the cast and crew were crucial for capturing the raw intimacy essential to the story.”

One of my favourite elements of the film was the way in which there were no “bad guys”…even though the parents at first appear domineering and unfair, we eventually see and understand their position. We feel for them too. Was that important to you?

“It was essential for me to portray every character with depth and nuance. While the parents may initially seem domineering, it was important to showcase their perspective and the love underlying their actions. Understanding that everyone operates from their own experiences adds complexity to the narrative.”

Raghuvir Joshi on the Sahela set.

What was your greatest challenge on the film?

“I think every phase is a challenge. From writing the script to raising finance for an independent film, to pre-production, and then post. With every phase, you learn something, and the learning never stops. Even now, as we do the festival rounds with the film, I’m understanding the craft and business of filmmaking. The challenge is to keep at it and not let the challenges bog you down.”

What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects or things you’d like to tackle?

“I’m in the early stages of developing my next project, which delves into the realm of psychological drama. It’s an exciting yet daunting endeavour…wish me luck!”

Sahela will screen at the New Farm Queer Film Festival in Brisbane on 5 & 8 October 2024, click here for tixClick here for our review of Sahela.

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