Despite recent accusations of political meddling and budget cutbacks that were noticeable, if not crippling, the Busan Film Festival opened its landmark twentieth year in decidedly muted fashion ( strong winds and torrential rain didn’t help) .
Opening ( surprisingly) with a film from India rather than a homegrown South Korean choice is an odd programming choice for such a significant anniversary, odder still given the fact that Mozez Singh’s Zubaan is a scattershot, only occasionally engaging rags-to-riches-to-rags Bollywood spectacle more notable for its WTF? moments than for toe-tapping songs.
Despite an insanely attractive cast and some striking visual moments, prospects for Zubaan overseas seem thin at best, and even success at home will be moderate at best given that other, more polished Bollywood product is easy to find and a smattering of touchy subject matter could raise eyebrows.