The South Africa-meets-Bollywood film, Bhais Café, will release in selected movie theatres nationwide on Valentines day this year. The movie has had successful screenings at the Durban International Film Festival and the Joburg Film Festival.
Centered around “family, urban gentrification and romance with a Bollywood touch”, Bhai’s Café is packed with drama and good humour. By the looks of it’s trailer views on Nu Metro’s Facebook page, which totals at more than 23 000, the film seems to be highly anticipated by South African audiences. The trailer was viewed more than any other upcoming film to be released in South Africa over the next six weeks.
Those who have already seen the film at it’s screenings have undividedly agreed on their enjoyment of the film. The themes echo in the daily lives of many.
The story tells the tale of Bhai’s Café, a linchpin in the community of Wynberg. The store comes under threat from a property developer. While this is happening, Bhai’s daughter falls in love with the property developers son (played by actor and comedian Siv Ngesi). As you would expect from a Bollywood film, there is a battle as Bhai gathers the community to protect his establishment and the blossoming love affair.
With the screenplay written by Darron Meyer and Aaron Naidoo, the film is based on a story by Razia Rawoot (one of the producers of the film) and her husband Mehboob Bawa (the executive producer and an actor in the film).
Suraya Rose Santos, a rising star in the international modelling and acting scene, plays Rashmi, the daughter who is madly inlove. Her parents are played by the aforementioned Bawa, and Rehane Abrahams.
Picture: Supplied