M Cream

<p>Figs is the typical cynic who lurks in the expansive lawns of . Entangled in a web of drugged out delirium, he’s the quintessential rebel. His world is thrown into disarray when his conservative parents begin to chalk out a strategy for his future. Things only become worse when a sudden scarcity of deprives Figs of his favourite pastime. Unable to cope with the situation, Figs joins forces with his best friend Maggie on a quest to attain M Cream, a mythical form of hash. They hastily devise a plan to trek to the far reaches of the in pursuit of this goal. Maggie ropes in her boyfriend Niz, who’s purportedly headed to the hills on a photo assignment. Unbeknownst to Figs, the trio is joined by Jay, a close friend of Niz. Chaos ensues as the reckless travelers journey across the Himalayan expanse. The road trip results in a series of unexpected encounters that begin to unravel the myriad realities of rebellion. Difficult choices are made and uncomfortable sides are taken as Figs and the others begin to comprehend the mysterious ways of the world we live in. Singh is an alumnus of . Upon graduation, he returned to India and began conceptualizing the script for , his first feature film. In conversation with , Singh commented: “After growing up in the superficial ’90s, I was struck by the resurgence of radicalism among the youth of India. This film is really an ode to the spirit of revolution, inspired by the brave and reckless defiance of my own peers and contemporaries.” Highlighting a departure from the traditional tropes of Bollywood storytelling, in an interview with Singh observed: “Bollywood entertains millions of people, but for me, personally, I couldn’t really relate to the dreams and ideas in it. It’s really based on escapism. And the fact of the matter is, we are living in turbulent times, and I think there’s an audience in India, and internationally as well, that wants to see the more realistic aspects of what’s happening in the country rather than the version of what we would like to believe.” The story of follows the exploits of four friends in search of a magical drug. Through this journey, the film explores various socio-political issues from a youth perspective. A cast of theatre and film actors including , , , , and joined the project. The film was produced by Agniputra Films, a multi-media production house based in New Delhi, India. Hong Kong based sales agent All Rights Entertainment came on board to represent the project internationally. was shot on location in and . Most notably the filming took place in and around the and in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh including popular backpacking locales such as and . The score for was composed by Studio Fuzz, consisting of , Arsh Sharma and Nikhil Malik. It features Indian classical singer , Brazilian pop star and French folk-rock group . premiered at the in 2014 where it received the ‘Best Feature Film’ award. The film traveled to several international festivals. Most notably, the film has been screened at , WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival Internationales Filmfest Braunschweig Indie Spirit Film Festival, FilmColumbia Festival, , , Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Seattle South Asian Film Festival, , Oakland International Film Festival and . Laurence Kardish, curator emeritus of , commented: “A refreshing, vivid and occasionally delirious road trip of a film into , and beyond into the snowy mountains and canopied forests of Himachal Pradesh where four young and attractive millennials from New Delhi hope their treasure hunt for a fabled stimulant will end blissfully. Directed with verve and panache by NYU graduate Agneya Singh, M Cream, is not only a wildly promising debut feature film, but an eye-popping, propulsive and energetic hybrid of American independent and Bollywood filmmaking.” The film was released in India by on 22 July 2016. Rohit Vats of commented, “M Cream is a raw voice of an energetic director.” Mohar Basu of observed, “M Cream is incomprehensible in parts, poignant in others but it is mostly a pointless movie. Though brimming with raw energy, the narrative lacks vision to use it right.” Focusing on a realistic appraisal of society and polity, touches upon several taboo subjects that are indicative of contemporary forms of rebellion. Most notably, the film has portrayed the widespread use of drugs among the youth. Speaking to , Singh commented: “Hash is hugely popular among the youth and on campuses. It’s a counter-cultural movement sweeping our country where the youth is pushing the limits of society and rebelling against social, economic and political uncertainties.” provides a socio-political commentary on modern India with an emphasis on understanding the role of rebellion in the ongoing struggle to affect change. In an interview with , Singh further stated: “I think that we need to bring cinema back into the socio-political sphere and wield it once again as a weapon of the revolution. M Cream is our very own protest against the rising tide of conformity.”</p>