ARRAY Releasing released the first teaser trailer and poster of Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy on Twitter on Friday.
Out now, the FUNNY BOY Teaser Trailer & Poster! Deepa Mehta’s FUNNY BOY explores the awakening of Arjie as he struggles to find balance and self-love despite the absence of empathy and understanding from his family and community.
FUNNY BOY premieres on Netflix December 10. pic.twitter.com/aWzI7mOObw
— ARRAY (@ARRAYNow) October 30, 2020
The trailer gives glimpses into the life of an eight-year-old Arjie (portrayed by Arush Nand and Brandon Ingram) who slowly discovers his sexuality as he grows up. The story focuses on Arjie’s struggle to draw a balance between self-love and adapting to a society that does not accept changes outside of its norms. It is set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war which was a result of political tensions between the Sinhalese and Tamils.
The film is an adaptation of Sri Lankan-Canadian author Shyam Selvadurai’s 1994 best-selling novel by the same name. The book won the Lambda Literary Award for gay fiction. The film also features Nimmi Harasgama, Ali Kazmi, Agam Darshi, Seema Biswas, and Shivantha Wijesinha in pivotal roles. The screenplay is co-written by Mehta along with Selvadurai. The film has also been announced as Canada’s entry to the 2021 Oscars under the international feature film category.
Nand was seen in Hindi films like Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran (2018) that starred John Abraham in the lead and Tanha Ji: The Unsung Warrier (2020) that featured Ajay Devgn.
Mehta’s last film was the 2016 Canadian drama Anatomy of Violence. Her 2005 film Water, the third feature film in her Element trilogy, was also Canada’s Oscar entry that year.
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Earlier this month, filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing decided to distribute the film. When the American filmmaker acquired the project, she wrote on Twitter, “When you get to distribute the latest feature film from one of your cinematic heroes, it is a good day. @ARRAYNow will release FUNNY BOY directed by the indomitable @IamDeepaMehta on @Netflix and with select theaters on December 10. Wow. An honor. A dream.”
Funny Boy will release in selected theatres in a few cities in Canada and will be released worldwide on Netflix on December 10.