Neena Gupta, Kalki Koechlin in international film ‘Goldfish’

Actors Neena Gupta and Kalki Koechlin will co-star in their first international project, Goldfish.

Set in London, the Pushan Kripalani directorial deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. It starts when Anamika (played by Kalki) returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana (Neena Gupta) because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Anamika returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn't remember her. It is about how they explore these complex emotions.

Talking about the film, Neena said: "It is a very different experience to work with Pushan Kripalani, I'm saying so because I did a very beautiful film with him which he directed called 'The Threshold'. When he came to me with this 'Goldfish' film, the script, I was very excited. Number one because it is a very challenging role and it's a beautiful script and I love the way Pushan works, there is a lot of freedom which the actors get.

"It is a very different experience from the other films, he's a very special person in my life and I'm very excited to be a part of 'Goldfish'. In fact I'm very nervous because it is a very challenging role," Neena added.

Kalki is equally excited about the project.

"I've been wanting to work with Pushan, the director since I saw his first film 'Threshold' and Neenaji of course is an amazing actor, I love her and I am looking forward to working with her. Also, the writer of the script Arghya is someone I have worked closely within theatre, he's done a lot of light design for the productions I have worked on. It is really quite a nice, happy union of different people from my walks of life and I'm very excited to start this project. The script is so fantastic," Kalki shared.

Written, directed and with cinematography by Kripalani, the film will be entirely shot in the UK early next year.

Kripalani said: "Neena and Kalki are both actors of immense sensitivity and skill. For this nuanced and difficult film, you need people who have a keen understanding of the human condition. They are wonderful casting for this piece."

"To make a film in the midst of a global pandemic is a hard task, but the background of isolation, restriction and hard times bring into sharp focus, the themes of diaspora and identity that the film seeks to explore. I can't wait to get started," the filmmaker added.