Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 4, 2016)
An American blonde travels to India in search of his girlfriend, only to discover that a guru with mysterious powers may be behind her vanishing act. "The Ashram is a spiritual, fantasy-thriller with magic and discovery," says Guneet Monga, who produced Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox and Masaan, among others.
The film rolled on Friday in Manali and will be shot over a two-month schedule with Ben Rekhi wielding the microphone. The story has been co-written by Binky Mendez. The Namesake and Harold & Kumar-actor, Kal Penn, who gave his nod within 24 hours of reading the script, features alongside Melissa Leo, who won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Alice Eklund-Ward in The Fighter. Hollywood actors Sam Keeley (Burnt, TV series Raw) and Hera Hilmar (Anna Karenina) are also a part of the film. The cast lands in India this week and the English film will be shot entirely in the country.
"The film requires only one Indian actress and Radhika Apte was Ben's first choice. Telling Indian stories to a global audience has always been exciting and this is my first step in the English language territory. I've got a chance to work with the best of both the worlds," exults Guneet, adding that while her earlier films have travelled the festival circuit before their theatrical release, the format of releasing an international film is different and she is learning the ropes along the way.
Guneet further adds, "When Kal Penn took to the social media to share that he was "pumped for this and excited to be working with Guneet," it was a wonderful feeling!"
