ULTRA presents Jalpari, The Desert Mermaid at the 65th Cannes Film Festival

From the director of the award-winning 'I am Kalam' comes an adventure of a girl who "will dare to go where no girl has ever gone before".

SYNOPSIS:

A well-heeled familyfrom the tiny neighborhood of New Delhi travels from the city through dusty roads that lead into the village in Haryana, far out and buried in the debris of the past. Shreya, the tom boy of the family, finally arrives at her father's village for the first time during her vacations, that too after coaxing her father, Dev, to the best of her abilities. She and her brother, Sam, had, in their imagination, spun the villages right out of a fairytale, replete with streams, lakes and grass lands that will allow them to run free. But all they find are dusty alleys, dried up ponds and hostile playmates until they spin their magic and befriend this unknown place, especially some of its people, like the Pehelwan and the gang of kids led by Ajithe. The story revolves around Shreya and Sam's adventures and misadventures which turn this dull place bereft of water and women into a a land of enhancement, mischief and amillion exciting exploits. But unknown place have many secrets, and heretoo, secret lurk at every corner. Strangely behaving villagers, a witch whom everyone seems to be terrified of, and a no-access zone beyond thehills intrigue Shreya, more so after housemaid Shabri tellsher various mysterious stories about the village. Then one night,Shreya sees Shabri and her husband Trilochan slink away, and stars following them only to find out a horrifying secret the village harbors.

Director: Nila Madhab Panda

Writer: Deepak Venkateshan

Cast:Lehar Khan, Parvin Dabas, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Suhasini Mulay,Kishang Trivedi, Harsh Mayar, V N Badola, Rahul Singh

Producer: Sushilkumar AGRAWAL (Ultra Distributors Pvt. Ltd.)

Market Premier: 17th May,2012 at 5:30pm Palais F

Last Screening: 23rd May,2012 at 3:30pm Palais D

For an invitation, visit ULTRA DISTRIBUTORS PVT. LTD. At the Marche duFilm, Palais 01, Booth No.24.01

by Amanda Beals and Gina Titelman