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Eeb Allay Ooo!

Anjani, a young migrant, battles hordes of monkeys as a contractual monkey repeller, a newly created government job to tackle the monkey menace in the heart of Delhi. His job profile entails mimicking aggressive langurs, the original and extremely effective employees for the task- recently let of on account of animal rights. The sacred pests shred Anjani’s dignity and courage in quick succession, and make such a mockery of his professional ineptitude that an early discharge seems imminent. But when admonished by his pregnant sister, Anjani grits his teeth and decides to counter monkey business with monkey business of his own. The struggles and misadventures of Anjani become the lens to examine the realities and contradictions of contemporary India. The underside of a farce, after all, is its involuntary participants.

  • Prateek Vats
    Director
    A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings
  • Shubham
    Writer
    Unpaused - Vishaanu
  • Shwetaabh Singh
    Producer
    Aise Hee (Just Like That)
  • Prateek Vats
    Producer
  • Mahinder Nath
    Key Cast
    "Mahinder"
  • Shardul Bharadwaj
    Key Cast
    "Anjani"
  • Nutan Sinha
    Key Cast
    "Shashi(sister)"
  • Shashi Bhushan
    Key Cast
    "Shashi (brother in law)"
  • Naina Sareen
    Key Cast
    "Kumudh(Nurse)"
  • Nitin Goel
    Key Cast
    "Narayan(Contractor)"
  • Saumyananda Sahi
    Cinematography
    Nasir, Aise Hee, Balekempa, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilaane le Jaa riya hun
  • Tanushree Das
    Editing
    Aise Hee, Rangbhoomi
  • Bigyna Bhushan Dahal
    Sound Recording & Design
    Gold Laden Sheep and the sacred mountain, Labor of love, A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
  • Anshul Takkar
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 37 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 13, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Hindi
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:2.35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Pingyao International Film Festival
    Pingyao
    China
    October 13, 2019
    World Premiere
    International Competition
  • MAMI, Mumbai Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    October 19, 2019
    Indian Premiere
    Golden Gateway Award(Best Indian Film), Best Actor(Male), Young Critic's Choice Award
  • Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
    Hong Kong
    Hong Kong
    November 19, 2019
    Hong Kong Premiere
    New Talent Award Section
  • Berlin International Film Festival
    Berlin
    Germany
    February 23, 2020
    European Premiere
    Panorama
  • WeAreOne: A Global Film Festival
    Worldwide
    United States
    May 30, 2021
    Digital Premiere
    International Comedies, Most "liked" film
  • Semenci - Valladolid International Film Festival
    Valladolid
    Spain
    October 24, 2020
    Spanish Premiere
    Meeting Point
  • Sao Paulo International Film Festival
    Sao Paulo
    Brazil
    October 22, 2020
    Brazilian Premiere
    New Filmmakers Competition
  • Prague International Film Festival
    Prague
    Czech Republic
    September 24, 2020
    Czech Premiere
    Internation Comedies Competition
  • Golden Horse International Film Festival
    Taiwan
    Taiwan
    November 8, 2020
    Taiwanese Premiere
    Windows on Asia
  • Coalition of South Asian Film Festival
    Seattle
    United States
    October 18, 2020
    Best Film
  • Critics' Choice Award, India
    Mumbai
    India
    February 14, 2021
    Best Film, Best Director
  • Filmfare Awards, India
    Mumbai
    India
    March 27, 2021
    Best Film - Critics' Award
Distribution Information
  • Netflix
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: Internet
  • Channel 4
    Distributor
    Country: United Kingdom
    Rights: Paid TV
  • Outsider Pictures
    Sales Agent
    Country: United States
    Rights: Video on Demand, Pay Per View, Theatrical, Paid TV
Director Biography - Prateek Vats

Prateek is an independent filmmaker and writer based out Mumbai/Goa. A graduate of the film direction course from Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), he has directed both fiction as well as non-fiction films which have been showcased at various film festivals and non-formal spaces. His debut feature documentary was awarded the Special Jury Award at the 65th National Film Awards, 2018.

In addition to making his own films and teaching, Prateek has been involved with Ektara Collective in Madhya Pradesh and Collective Phase I in Kerela.

Director’s Filmography

1. Eeb Allay Ooo!
(Hindustani/Fiction/Color/97 mins/2019)

International Competition, PYIFF 2019, China
Berlin International Film Festival 2020
MAMI, Mumbai Film festival (Golden Gateway Award)
New Talent Award Section, HKAFF, 2019

2. A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings
(Bengali-Hindi-English/Non Fiction/Color/72mins/2017)

Official Selection, India Story, MAMI 2017
Official Selection, Indian Panorama, IFFI 2017
Official Selection, KIFF 2017
Special Jury Award, 65th National Film Awards, 2018

3. Re- Tracing Freedom: Goa Chapter
(English/Non Fiction/HD/Color/20min/2015)

Official Selection, IDSFFK, 2016
Official Selection, Film SouthAsia, 2017

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The biggest democracy in the world is employing exploitative contractual labor to secure the highest offices of her democracy from the nuisance created by a holy animal. The inherent absurdity of this situation is what drew me into this film. For me, it sums up the prevalent situation in my country – a nation state propped up on the dehumanized, quite literally in this case, labor of its citizens. Eeb Allay Ooo! is a response to the world around us – a world which is hard to make sense of – a world where being a monkey is far more liberating than being human. While outwardly a satire, I hope my film is true to these internal complexities. The narrative of the film is shaped by extensive use of non - fiction elements, incorporating non-professional actors alongside trained actors. Vérité footage is mixed with crafted mis-en- scène to weave a revealing account seeped in reality, which is as stark as it is absurd.