In Beyond the Clouds, Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, who made the Oscar nominated Children of Heaven (1999), is far from home but in familiar ground. Majidi's latest film is set in Mumbai instead of Iran but deals with the themes he is known for: children and young adults from the underprivileged class of society.
We get a sense of the story in the trailer: Amir (Ishaan Khatter), who lost his parents at the age of 13, makes a living by working in a garage. He dreams of owning a plane someday and shares a special bond with his estranged sister Tara (Malavika Mohanan). In order to make quick money, Amir gets involved in the drug business and gets in trouble with the police. Things go awry when Tara, in an attempt to cover up for her brother, lands up in jail instead.
AR Rahman's soaring, and sometimes buoyant, music — the composer has worked with Majidi in his previous film Muhammad: The Messenger of God(2015) — jazzes up the visuals (shot by Anil Mehta) as we see Amir zipping through the slums of Mumbai. And there is that undeniable Slumdog Millionaire (2008) déjà vu.
Co-produced by Zee Studios, Beyond the Clouds has Hindi dialogues by Vishal Bhardwaj. It will release in India on 23 March.
Watch the trailer here: