Eklavya screened at New York university

Mumbai, Oct 8 (UNI) Notwithstanding the controversy surrounding its selection as India's official entry to the Oscars in the foreign film category, Eklavya's producer-director Vidhu Vinod Chopra has begun his campaign to publicise the film in the United States.

In his efforts to promote the film, ''Eklavya - The Royal Guard'' was screened at New York University as part of the University's Director's Series. Other directors featured in this series include Ang Lee, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Martin Scorcese and Sean Penn. The screening took place on October 4.

The screening was followed by an hour-long question and answer session, which was moderated by Richard Allen, the Chairman of Cinema Studies at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.

On October 6, ''Eklavya'' was screened at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The Peabody Museum is among the oldest museums in the United States and has a renowned collection of modern Indian art.

Abhijat Joshi, the writer of ''Eklavya'' and ''Laage Raho Munnabhai'', was also present at the screenings.

Mr Vinod Chopra said, ''It is wonderful to see my work in these spaces. I am honoured. I was especially excited to be at New York University from where such great directors have emerged.'' ''Eklavya'' is a multi-starrer movie starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan. Amitabh plays Eklavya, the royal gaurd, who holds a royal family's dark secrets close to his heart.

UNI