Bollywood Trade News Network

Said an elated Ravi Chopra, MD, BR Films, ''Here is a different flavour of a film that is coming for both India and the international market. We at BR Films and Hamilton Mehta Productions are taking our relationship forward with this venture.''

Adds Sanjay Bhutiani, CEO, BR Films and the Executive Producer of the film, ''BR Films had an integral role in the making of COOKING WITH STELLA. Since the film was being shot in India, BR Films did the production planning, execution and logistics of the film including casting and budgeting. It was a complex task which involved Indian, Canadian and British crew in over 45 days in New Delhi. We are more than delighted with this honour.''

Enthuses director Dilip Mehta, ''I am still in a state of disbelief. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), along with Cannes, is perhaps the most prestigious and significant film festival today and to have one's film participate in it is glory enough but to have a Gala screening and a world premiere is nothing short of mind-blowing.''

COOKING WITH STELLA, written by siblings Deepa Mehta and Dilip Mehta, is a warmhearted social satire portraying the inequality of life and subtly highlights the disparity between servants and their employers through the lives of a Canadian diplomatic couple and their South Indian cook. Elaborates director Mehta, ''The film raps us on our knuckles yet doesn't pontificate and what could have been a bitter pill is tempered by Seema Biswas as the cook who floors you with her comedic timing. Shriya Saran as the sweetly innocent nanny is more than just stunning and Vansh Bhardwaj as her paramour and a charming rogue is delicious. The performances of Lisa Ray and Don McKellar on the other hand add a substantive layer of belief of victims of cultural differences.''