| The President Is Coming | |
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Movie Poster for The President Is Coming. |
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| Directed by | Kunaal Roy Kapur |
| Produced by | Rohan Sippy |
| Written by | Anuvab Pal |
| Starring | Konkona Sen Sharma Shernaz Patel Shivani Tanksale Namit Das Vivek Gomber Satchit Puranik Ira Dubey |
| Release date(s) | January 9, 2009 |
| Running time | 86 mins |
| Country | India |
| Language | English |
The President Is Coming is a 2009 Indian satirical mockumentary film directed by Kunaal Roy Kapur based on his own popular play by the same title which premiered at the Royal Court/Rage Theatre Festival in Mumbai in January 2006. The film, written by Anuvab Pal, marks Kapur's debut as a director and features an ensemble cast including Konkona Sen Sharma as a Bengali writer and a social activist.[1] The film explores a day in the life of 6 contestants who will stop at nothing as the US President is coming to town. Konkona plays Maya Roy, one of the six contestants who will represent New India in front of the President.[1]
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In 2006, George W. Bush, President of the United States, visited India. In addition to the many diplomatic and political things on the agenda was a rather unique event — a meeting with the young faces responsible for shaping "The New India". The six contestants are Maya Roy India's best young Writer, Ajay Karlekar India's best young Social Activist, Archana Kapoor India's best young Indian Entrepreneur, Rohit Seth Call Center Accent Trainer, Kapil Dev Dholakia India's best young Stock Investor, Ramesh S Software Engineer.
They have to undergo bizarre tests and activities to top the list. In the end only two are left Kapil and Maya. Kapil is caught cheating in the final round and Maya is selected. But with bizarre turn of events she is not the one who shakes the hand.
Goldspot, the critically acclaimed US indie rock band, did the soundtrack for "The President is Coming" (2008), featuring songs such as "Paper Boats", "Under the House", and "Haath Mein Le Lenge". The film's music was written by Siddhartha Khosla and is available for download at www.myspace.com/goldspot.
The President Is Coming opened to generally positive reviews. Critic Taran Adarsh from indiaFM gave the film a 3 out of 5 rating and concluded that it "...offers laughter aplenty and that is its biggest USP. Recommended for the multiplex junta."[2]The Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars concluding, "The film has a raw look and lacks finesse when it comes to production values. But there is a delightful tongue-in-cheek tenor running through it, which makes you overlook the unpolished feel and the loose editing." [3]Rajeev Masand from CNN-IBN described the film as "... an enjoyable film that pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling.Don't miss this film or you'll regret it." [4]
Reviews were favorably directed towards director Kunaal Roy Kapur and lead actress Konkona Sen Sharma as well. Taran Adarsh reviewed, "Director Kunaal Roy Kapur knows what he's talking and for a first-timer, makes a remarkable debut."[2] Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India wrote, "Performance-wise, it's the uptight and complex-ridden Ms. Konkona who walks away with laurels and laughs even as the film takes a healthy snigger at the desi self."[3]