Private Project

Kekee Manzil: House of Art

In Kekee Manzil: House of Art a daughter journeys to find how her father catalysed the contemporary art movement in India as it achieved independence in 1947. But how did he get to this point? Back in 1941, Kekoo Gandhy came to the aid of a man whose car got stuck in the sand on Juhu beach in Bombay. A friendship started and a business partnership soon followed. The pair established Chemould Frames, which became the largest picture frame enterprise in Asia. A chance encounter, the first of many moments of serendipity helping launch the most significant Indian art movement from the city.

But picture frames need filling. As Kekoo established his business, the Progressive Artists’ Group had been growing in Bombay, fired by the tragedy of Partition and the hopes of independence. These included the artists MF Husain, Raza, Souza, and Ara, whose works now sell for considerable amounts. These artists believed in creating a new form of Modernist Art , unique to India: a new voice for a new nation, incorporating its colonial past but looking towards the future. How did they do it? Especially when there was no money in Art. There was no market for it and certainly no tradition which could inspire them.

This is where Kekoo and his wife Khorshed stepped in. They were the power couple of Bombay who supported these artists, developed the first Modern Art Gallery to show their works and fought for the original dream of what India could be.

For 70 years they were at the very heart of the creative and historical movements that buffeted the city. From living through the hopes of the new nation in 50s and 60s. Then to see the first cracks appear in the world’s largest democracy during the Emergency in the 70s. And finally today, where the very existence of the secular nation is under threat. Kekoo and Khorshed fought hard for their beliefs.

Kekee Manzil, for the first time on the screen, will show over 100 original artworks, interwoven with glorious colour Super 8 of the family from the 50s onwards, and a wealth of stills from the Chemould archive, along with unique historical footage of Bombay. None of this has been seen before.

Melding all this together is a stunning and award wining soundtrack by Talvin Singh. His rhythms and moods capture the sweep of history through a mix of traditional and modern techniques.

Kekee Manzil is a hugely ambitious film that interweaves history, art and politics through the prism of this family-the Gandhy’s. It is an untold story. A story that will surprise, charm, beguile, shock and devastate the viewer.

But beyond the world of art, this film is also a heartfelt love letter to the people of Bombay/Mumbai.

  • Dilesh Korya
    Director
  • Behroze Gandhy
    Producer
  • Talvin Singh
    Music
  • Behroze Gandhy
    Writer
  • Michael Poole
    Writer
  • Dilesh Korya
    Writer
  • Michael Poole
    Executive Producer
  • Anish Kapoor
    Main Contributors
    Artist
  • Salman Rushdie
    Main Contributors
    Writer
  • Nahlini Malani
    Main Contributors
    Artist
  • Atul Dodiya
    Main Contributors
    Artist
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • South Asian Film festival, Tongues On Fire
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 8, 2022
    UK
    Best Documentary and Best Soundtrack
  • ImagineIndia
    Madrid
    Spain
    September 30, 2022
    Spain
    Best Documentary
  • The Pompidou Centre
    Paris
    France
    Premiere in France
    TBC
Director Biography - Dilesh Korya

Dilesh Korya is a British Asian filmmaker and editor based in Bristol, with a career that spans 30 years. For over 20 years he has been editing documentaries for BBC and Channel 4. Many have won awards and garnered big audiences and critical praise.

Prior to this, Dilesh had made short films. His film ‘Sari’ has been shown at festivals and awarded a number of commendations.

For him, stories are interconnected. History, politics, arts and our own personal journey and emotions all intertwine.
This is from his background. Born in Kampala Uganda, he was part of the Indian community that’s was forcibly ejected from the country in the early 70’s. History and politics impacts on the personal lives of everyone. That is the challenge, as filmmakers, to make films that reveals a deeper understanding of ourselves and our place in the wider world.

Dilesh is a filmmaker that works across all areas of film production. Not only did he direct and edit 'Kekee Manzil', but also shot many scenes, did the graphics and co-wrote the film.

Kekee Manzil is his first feature documentary, taking nearly five years to make. He is currently finishing off a film script, researching a number of new feature documentaries, as well as editing a major new series for BBC2 about the creation of the United Kingdom, with by David Olusoga.

He feels that in these difficult times, the film is a reminder for what is important. Unity, tolerance and diversity.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Behroze and I started working together on this film in 2016. We were ambitious, telling the story of not only Kekoo, but also of an art movement. More importantly, India was going through major changes that shocked and saddened us. I felt compelled to speak about this darkness that lurks under surface of the nation, right from its inception.

Behroze recorded her father Kekoo from 2002, aware that she was witness to a unique period of Indian art history – and its main protagonists were fast disappearing. It was apparent that there wasn’t enough in the archive to tell the complete story, so new material was shot. Living artists including Nalini Malani, Atul Dodiya, and Anish Kapoor were interviewed. Also contributing is Salman Rushdie, who re-imagined Kekoo and these artists in The Moor’s Last Sigh.

What struck me the most whilst making the film, was the huge respect Kekoo had in the city. No matter what we wanted, wherever we went, if we mentioned Kekoo, then doors would open, access granted where normally it would be impossible. We were given so much, for example Christie’s gave us full access to their entire Indian catalogue just because of Kekoo. He is an immense figure in the artistic and political landscape of Bombay.

I am immensely proud of the film, not only because it takes big stories, big ideas, and also the deeply personal, successfully interweaving them, but for any budding filmmaker, it reminds that there’s another way to make films. It is self funded, using at times an iPhone to film, never obsessed about the perfect shot. We were budget poor but ideas rich. As Anish Kapoor says in the film ‘it is about what it says’. And our film says so much.

'Kekee Manzil' was screened in London at the South Asian Film Festival. The audience found it was incredibly emotional.

The film went on to be awarded Best Documentary and Best Soundtrack at the festival.

It has also won Best Documentary at the ImagineIndia Festival in Madrid. Next year it will be screened at the Pompidou Centre as part of the launch of their new Raza exhibition.

As our world emerges from difficult times, of covid and of self-interested strongmen, figures like Kekoo are the people should inspire us for a more tolerant world.