Liar's Dice (film)

2021-04-29T09:08:25Z

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{{short description|2013 Indian film}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2014}}
{{use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Liar's Dice
| image = Liars Dice Hindi Film Poster.jpg
| caption = Official film poster
| director = [[Geetu Mohandas]]
| producer = Alan McAlex Ajay Rai
| writer = [[Geetu Mohandas]]
| starring = [[Geetanjali Thapa]] [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] Manya Gupta Vikram Bhagra Murari Kumar
| music = John Bosters
| cinematography = [[Rajeev Ravi]]
| editing = [[B. Ajithkumar]]
| studio = [[Jar Pictures]]
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Hindi]]
| released = {{film date|df=y|2013|10|5|[[Mumbai Film Festival|MAMI]]|2014|1|16|[[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]]}}
| runtime = 104 minutes
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Liar's Dice''''' is a 2013 Indian [[Hindi film|Hindi-language]] [[road movie]] written and directed by [[Geetu Mohandas]] and starring [[Geetanjali Thapa]] and [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://starblockbuster.com/nawazuddin%E2%80%99s-liar%E2%80%99s-dice-sundance-film-festival|title=Nawazuddin’s Liar’s Dice in Sundance Film Festival - Starblockbuster|publisher=}}</ref> The film tells the story of a young mother from a remote village who, going in search of her missing husband, goes missing herself. The film examines the human cost of migration to cities and the exploitation of migrant workers.

The production is Mohandas' feature film debut; she had previously made the short film ''Kelkkunndo'' in 2008, which received wide acclaim.<ref name=var>{{cite web | title = 'Liar's Dice' Review: Geeta Mohandas' Quietly Effective Debut|publisher=Variety|author=Dennis Harvey| url = https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-liars-dice-1201064136/|date=18 January 2014| accessdate = 2014-04-18 }}</ref> ''Liar's Dice'' had its world premiere at the [[Mumbai Film Festival]] in October 2013, where it took part in the Indian competition section.<ref name=mint>{{cite web| title = Mumbai Film Festival Preview: Liar's Dice |publisher=Livemint| url = http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/xh1SIPCnd46EIdyWNzmQqM/Films--Game-of-choices.html |date= 5 October 2013| accessdate = 2014-04-18 }}</ref> In January 2014, the film was screened at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] and the [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]].<ref name=red>{{cite web | title = Sundance selection has changed everything for me |publisher=Rediff.com Movies| url = http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-sundance-selection-has-changed-everything-for-me-south/20140121.htm#1 |date=21 January 2014| accessdate = 2014-04-18 }}</ref> It won a special jury award at the [[Sofia International Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dearcinema.com/news/liars-dice-wins-special-jury-award-sofia-international-film-festival/1922|title=Liar's Dice wins Special Jury award at Sofia International Film Festival|work=DearCinema.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140321145527/http://dearcinema.com/news/liars-dice-wins-special-jury-award-sofia-international-film-festival/1922|archivedate=21 March 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/top-10-small-budget-independent-films-set-to-release-in-2015/15898169|title=Top 10 small-budget independent films set to release in 2015|date=9 January 2015|work=mid-day}}</ref>

''Liar's Dice'' went on to receive two [[National Film Awards|National Film Awards at the]] [[61st National Film Awards]]: [[National Film Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] for Geetanjali Thapa, and [[National Film Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] for Rajeev Ravi. The film was [[List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|India's official entry]] at the [[87th Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Language Film]], but was not nominated.<ref>
{{cite web | title = Geethu Mohandas' 'Liar's Dice' is India's official entry to the Oscars|work=CNN-IBN| url = http://ibnlive.in.com/news/geethu-mohandas-liars-dice-is-indias-official-entry-to-the-oscars/501199-8-66.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140924102713/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/geethu-mohandas-liars-dice-is-indias-official-entry-to-the-oscars/501199-8-66.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 24 September 2014|date=23 September 2014| accessdate = 2014-10-19 }}</ref><ref name="IndiaHWR">{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-india-selects-liars-dice-734967 |title=Oscars: India Selects 'Liar's Dice' for Foreign-Language Category |accessdate=23 September 2014 |work=Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> Art director [[Happy Journey (2014 Marathi film)|Ajay Sharma]], who had worked on movies such as ''[[Happy Journey (2014 Marathi film)|Happy Journey]]'' (2014), won the Best Art Director Award at the [[Maharashtra State Film Awards]].

==Plot==
The canvas of the film stretches from a small village in the mountains called [[Chitkul]] on the border with China, to the big city of Delhi. Kamala, a young mother from a tribal community, her three-year-old daughter, and her daughter's pet goat, embark on a journey to find her husband who has been missing for the last five months. Along the way, they meet an army deserter, Nawazuddin, who accompanies them. They travel together until they reach the house of Kamala's husband's boss, but he is away. Kamala and Nawazuddin quarrel and part ways. Kamala decides to go to Delhi to search for her husband, and she runs into Nawazuddin at the train station. He decides to accompany her and her daughter once more, in order to keep them safe. They arrive in Delhi together and a series of mishaps ensues. Kamala keeps trying to call her husband's phone and finally hears a ringtone. The ringing appears to be coming from Nawazuddin's bag, however. Kamala opens the bag and finds her husband's wallet, his watch, and his belongings.
At the end of the film, Nawazuddin is seen working in construction and Kamala is back in her village.

==Cast==
* [[Nawazuddin Siddiqui]] as Nawazuddin
* [[Geetanjali Thapa]] as Kamala
* Manya Gupta as Manya
* Vikram Bhagra as Hotel owner
* Murari Kumar as Hotel boy

==Production==
Director Geetu Mohandas is a noted actress in [[Malayalam cinema]]. She wrote the script to the film in 2007, before her debut short ''Kelkkunndo'' (Are You Listening) in 2008. However, she was unable to get the film financed due to the unusual storyline and a relatively unknown cast. Nevertheless, after the critical success received at the [[International Film Festival Rotterdam]] (IFFR) for her short film, she managed to get a project development grant of €10,000 (around Rs.8.45 lakh now) from the IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund.<ref name=mint/><ref>{{cite web |title=Liar's Dice: The tale behind india's official entry to the oscars |work=Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/liar-s-dice-the-tale-behind-india-s-official-entry-to-the-oscars/article1-1277042.aspx |author=Ramesh Babu |date=19 October 2014 |accessdate=2014-10-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019121018/http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/liar-s-dice-the-tale-behind-india-s-official-entry-to-the-oscars/article1-1277042.aspx |archivedate=19 October 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The film faced difficulties in raising funds before Alan McAlex and Ajay G. Rai, producers from [[Jar Pictures]], stepped in.<ref>{{cite web| title = Jar Pictures funded India's official entry to Oscar 'Liar's Dice'| url = http://www.joinfilms.com/true-facts/jar-pictures-funded-india-official-entry-to-oscar-liars-dice| url-status = dead| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20141125114957/http://www.joinfilms.com/true-facts/jar-pictures-funded-india-official-entry-to-oscar-liars-dice| archivedate = 25 November 2014| df = dmy-all}}</ref> The final project was co-produced with Mohandas' own production company, Unplugged.

''Liar's Dice'' was shot on a low budget using a small crew in under a month in March 2012.<ref name=mint/> It was filmed on location in the village of [[Chitkul]] in Kinnaur district, [[Shimla]], and various locations in Delhi, including the [[Jama Masjid, Delhi|Jama Masjid]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2343621/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt|title=Liar's Dice (2014)|work=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Liar's Dice being Geethu's film made no difference to me: Rajeev Ravi | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news-and-interviews/Liars-Dice-being-Geethus-film-made-no-difference-to-me-Rajeev-Ravi/articleshow/33866596.cms |date=18 April 2014| accessdate = 2014-04-18 | work = The Times of India}}</ref> The cinematography was done by Mohandas' husband, [[Rajeev Ravi]], who had previously worked on movies such as ''[[Dev.D]]'' (2009) and ''[[Gangs of Wasseypur]]'' (2012).<ref name=red/>

==Reception==
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film a "quietly effective debut".<ref name=var/>

==Awards==
*[[61st National Film Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|title=61st National Film Awards Announced: Live Update|url=http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/and-more/61st-national-film-awards-announced-live-update_153657.html|publisher=[[Zee News]]|accessdate=16 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=61st National Film Awards For 2013 |url=http://www.dff.nic.in/List%20of%20Awards.pdf# |publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals |date=16 April 2014 |accessdate=2014-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416181218/http://www.dff.nic.in/List%20of%20Awards.pdf |archive-date=16 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
**[[National Film Award for Best Actress]] - [[Geetanjali Thapa]]
**[[National Film Award for Best Cinematography]] - [[Rajeev Ravi]]
*[[Sofia International Film Festival]], 2014
**Won Special Jury Award<ref>{{cite web |url=http://siff.bg/index.php?page=prizes&id=&lang=en |publisher=SIFF |title=Международен София Филм Фест 7-17-28 Март, 2019 |access-date=13 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930182954/http://siff.bg/index.php?page=prizes&id=&lang=en |archive-date=30 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[New York Indian Film Festival|NYIFF]] 2014
**Won Best Actress<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards - New York Indian Film Festival 2014 | url = http://www.iaac.us/nyiff2014/awards.htm |publisher=IAAC }}</ref>
**Won Best Film Award in international competition<ref>{{cite web |title=Liar's Dice named Best Film at New York Indian Film Festival |url=http://dearcinema.com/news/liars-dice-named-best-film-new-york-indian-film-festival/1458 |publisher=Dear Cinema |date=12 May 2014 |accessdate=2014-05-12 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514095533/http://dearcinema.com/news/liars-dice-named-best-film-new-york-indian-film-festival/1458 |archivedate=14 May 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
*Pesaro International Film Festival, 2014
**Won Lino Micciche Award for Best Film<ref>{{cite web|title=Liar's Dice wins Micciche | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/Liars-Dice-wins-Micciche-Award/articleshow/37707895.cms |publisher=Times of India | date= 3 July 2014|accessdate = 2014-07-03 }}</ref>
* [[Cines del Sur|Granada Cines del Sur Film Festival]]
**Won Bronce Alhambra award<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/culturaydeporte/cinesurgranada/?p=2478&lang=en | date= 8 June 2014|accessdate = 2014-06-08}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of submissions to the 87th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film]]
* [[Liar's dice]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|2343621|Liar's Dice}}
{{Indian submission for Academy Awards}}

[[Category:2013 films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2010s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Films set in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Films shot in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Films set in Delhi]]
[[Category:Films shot in Delhi]]
[[Category:2010s drama road movies]]
[[Category:Indian drama road movies]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actress National Award-winning performance]]
[[Category:Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography National Film Award]]
[[Category:Works about human migration]]
[[Category:Films about human trafficking in India]]
[[Category:2013 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2013 drama films]]

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Liar's Dice (film)