Rahhar Shah Kami on viewers getting emotional throughout Love in Vietnam screening

On his journey to Vietnam for a movie pageant in collaboration with the Indian authorities, author and director Rahhat Shah Kazmi fell in love with the nation; an concept to base his subsequent movie there slowly took root. It was pageant organiser Captain Rahul Bali — now certainly one of his co-producers — who lent him assist. Love in Vietnam, starring Shantanu Maheshwari, Avneet Kaur, Kha Ngân, and Farida Jalal, amongst others, finally got here by means of after appreciable effort.

Nonetheless, the movie, which launched in India in September, didn’t get sufficient room to unfold its wings. “That is the primary ever India-Vietnam collaboration,” he beams. “However the Indian launch clashed with 40 different movies — together with Demon Slayer and Mirai — floods, and restricted screens. We didn’t get exhibits in our personal nation. Everybody was disheartened. All our efforts felt like they had been in useless.” The tide turned when South Korea embraced the movie. Singer Seaya launched a tune impressed by the movie after watching it, and the filmmaker was just lately honoured with Greatest Asian Movie and Greatest Director of Asia gong for Love in Vietnam on the Seoul International Film Awards 2025. “We questioned if the folks would love the film or if they are going to rise up and go away mid-way as a result of they couldn’t join with the story and the songs within the movie. However, folks cried in the course of the première. They had been all so emotional. They began posting on their social media. It was a dreamlike expertise. Now the movie is opening in Korean theatres within the first week of January,” he smiles. 

Rahhat Shah Kazmi

Kazmi stays hopeful about an Indian re-release sometime. He says that talks with OTT platforms are ongoing and {that a} date will quickly be locked. “Our want to indicate the movie to our folks isn’t fulfilled. Individuals haven’t seen it. So, we’ll strive once more. Round February, we hope to get a licence for China. We are going to lock the OTT plan after it releases in China.”

January 9
‘Love in Vietnam’ releases in Vietnam theatres

Shantanu Maheshwari on ‘Love in Vietnam’

Being part of ‘Love in Vietnam’ has been a particular expertise. Working in a brand new tradition with language variations robotically makes you extra conscious and current as an actor. You uncover your individual language to speak with folks. Whereas the viewers could also be new, I realised that feelings don’t 
actually change. Tales about love, battle, and hope join the identical method, and that’s the great thing about storytelling. This movie jogged my memory {that a} good love story can journey past languages and limits.