Jump to content

Margarita with a Straw

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Margarita with a Straw
The poster depicts Kalki Koechlin sipping on a margarita.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byShonali Bose
Written by
  • Shonali Bose
  • Nilesh Maniyar
Produced byShonali Bose
Starring
CinematographyAnne Misawa
Edited byMonisha Baldawa
Music byMikey McCleary
Production
companies
Release dates
  • 8 September 2014 (2014-09-08) (TIFF)
  • 17 April 2015 (2015-04-17) (India)
Running time
100 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget65 million[2]
Box office74 million[2]

Margarita with a Straw is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Shonali Bose. It stars Kalki Koechlin as an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy who relocates to America for her undergraduate education and comes of age following her complex relationship with a blind girl, played by Sayani Gupta. Revathi, Kuljeet Singh, and William Moseley play supporting roles. Produced by Bose in partnership with Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Margarita with a Straw was co-written by Bose and Nilesh Maniyar. The film deals with the challenging concepts of sexuality, inclusion, self-love, and self-acceptance.

Bose conceived the idea for the film in January 2011 during a conversation with Malini Chib, her cousin and a disability rights activist, about the latter's desire to have a normal sex life. Inspired by Chib's story, Bose wrote the first draft of the film's script. After winning a Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award for the draft, she modified the script to reflect her own perspective, incorporating several personal experiences into the narrative. Bose completed the screenplay with co-writer Maniyar and the advisory council of the Sundance Institute.

Bose was keen to cast an actress with cerebral palsy for the central part, but eventually hired Koechlin, who learnt the movements and speech patterns of people with the disorder. Filming took place in Delhi and New York in 2013, with Anne Misawa as the director of photography. The film was selected for the National Film Development Corporation of India's Work-in-Progress Lab initiative during post-production, which was completed in the latter half of 2013. The soundtrack for the film was composed by Mikey McCleary.

Margarita with a Straw premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened at the Tallinn Black Nights, the BFI London, the Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema, and the Galway Film Fleadh. The film was released theatrically in India on 17 April 2015 to positive reviews. Commentators praised most aspects of the production, Koechlin's performance, and Bose's direction. Koechlin won the Screen Award for Best Actress and the National Film Award – Special Jury Award, and Bose won the NETPAC Award at Toronto. Commercially, Margarita with a Straw grossed over 74 million against a production budget of 65 million.

Plot

[edit]

Laila Kapoor is a teenager with cerebral palsy studying at Delhi University. She is an aspiring writer and also composes music for an indie band at the university. Laila develops feelings for the lead singer, but is heartbroken when she is rejected. Moving on from the experience, Laila is overjoyed to receive a scholarship for a semester's study at New York University. Despite her father's reservations, she moves to Greenwich Village, Manhattan with her orthodox Maharashtrian mother, Shubhangini Damle.

Laila meets an attractive young man named Jared, who is assigned to help her in the creative writing class. She also meets a young activist, Khanum, a blind girl of Pakistani-Bangladeshi descent, with whom she falls in love. Laila is enamoured by Khanum's fiercely independent personality and her positive perspective towards her own disability. The two spend most of their time together, filling in as each other's caregivers. Laila becomes confused about her sexual orientation, as she is attracted to men (Jared in particular) while being in a serious relationship with Khanum. She has sex with Jared, only to regret it immediately. Laila does not tell Khanum about this encounter. Oblivious to her daughter's relationship with Khanum, Laila's mother invites Khanum to Delhi to spend the summer vacation with Laila's family.

Laila ultimately finds the courage to come out to her mother about bisexuality and her relationship with Khanum, both of which her mother strongly disapproves. Laila also confesses to Khanum that she had sex with Jared and asks for her forgiveness. Feeling betrayed by Laila, Khanum breaks up with her and leaves for New York. Shubhangini is diagnosed with advanced colon cancer which has relapsed after previous treatments. Laila and her mother move past their differences while Laila tends to her at the hospital. The two eventually reconcile shortly before Shubhangini's death. Laila plays a song (recorded by Shubhangini) at Shubhangini's funeral telling how much she loved her and how she was the only one who ever understood her. Laila is later seen drinking a margarita with a straw while on a "date" with herself.

Cast

[edit]

Credits adapted from Rotten Tomatoes.[3]

  • Kalki Koechlin as Laila Kapoor
  • Revathi as Shubhangini Kapoor
  • Sayani Gupta as Khanum
  • Kuljeet Singh as Laila's father
  • Hussain Dalal as Dhruv
  • William Moseley as Jared
  • Malhar Khushu as Monu
  • Tenzin Dalha as Nima
  • Shuchi Dwivedi as Sameera
  • Doug Plaut as Rob
  • Jennifer Silverstein as Nancy
  • Marco Torriani as Charles

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

"Khanum is so striking, just such a fantastic character. And there was this really boring, British boy who lived in America. When I owned the character, writing from being Laila myself, Laila was like 'Are you kidding me? This is the more interesting person ...' But I didn't do it consciously thinking, Laila just fell in love with Khanum and it happened organically, not from me wanting to deal with this issue."

— Bose on Laila's sexuality[4]

Shonali Bose began working on a story in January 2011, on what would have been her son's 17th birthday (he had died the year previously). She worked on the first draft extensively for about a month. Although the main character of Laila is based on her cousin Malini Chib, a disability rights activist, the narrative follows Bose's own experience of losing a family member. She acknowledged the difficulty of incorporating elements from her personal life into the story, calling it a "tough emotional journey".[5] The idea of working on a film about disability was conceived during a casual conversation between Bose and her aunt (Chib's mother), who wanted her niece to work on a similar project aimed at creating awareness regarding the subject.[4] Having grown up in the same household as Chib, Bose was familiar with the discrimination faced by people with disabilities. She was especially intrigued by the general ignorance exhibited towards the sexuality of people with disabilities, and therefore decided to incorporate it into the narrative.[6]

Bose later adapted the original draft into a feature film-length script for Margarita with a Straw with co-writer Nilesh Maniyar. In 2012 the script won the Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award.[4] As part of the prize, the duo were awarded mentorships from the Sundance Institute's staff and creative advisors, and participated in a Feature Film Program Lab, which is where Bose decided to modify the story.[7] After being told by the advisory board that she was "not in the skin of the character", Bose decided to rewrite the script from her own perspective, instead of solely trying to incorporate Chib's point of view. She said that only after winning the award did she incorporate (unconsciously) her experiences as a bisexual woman in India. Bose and Maniyar worked for two years on the script as it went through more than forty revisions before becoming the final screenplay.[4]

Casting

[edit]
William Moseley looking away from the camera
William Moseley plays the love interest for Koechlin's character.

Bose originally intended to cast actors with the same disabilities as the characters of Laila and Khanum. Since there were no actresses with cerebral palsy in India, she held auditions for the role in institutions that catered to patients, but could not find a suitable person to play the central role. Bose also had a meeting with a blind actress in her early thirties to discuss the role of Khanum, a character she associated herself with. The actress refused to pursue the role, being uncomfortable with the sexual content of the script. She nevertheless helped Bose by assisting Sayani Gupta, who was eventually cast as Khanum.[6]

Having decided to cast a professional for the part of Laila, Bose approached Kalki Koechlin, who she said was her "first and only choice" for the role.[8] Since Koechlin was still shooting for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) at the time, Bose began looking for other actresses to play the role, but felt that "something was missing" in each one. She eventually decided to push the filming back for three months to accommodate her first choice.[9] Koechlin admitted that the role was the most challenging of her film career and she took six months to prepare for it.[10][11] She underwent a six-week training workshop with actor Adil Hussain, which was aimed at making her "body language seem natural", while also focusing on the speech pattern of patients with cerebral palsy.[12] Koechlin spent considerable time with Chib and her physiotherapist and speech therapist. She also attended a month-long workshop in Delhi, where she worked on body part movements.[13] Although the film addresses aspects of the challenges of physical disability, Koechlin dubbed it "a romcom within some hurdles".[13] Bose too described the film as a coming-of-age story about a "woman's journey of finding love".[14][15]

Maniyar, who also served as the casting director for the film, contacted Gupta for the role of Khanum while she was working on the travel show Yeh Hai India Meri Jaan. Immediately drawn to the character, Gupta agreed to audition and was cast for the role after a lengthy selection process that lasted about a month.[16] She said in a later interview that she had felt fortunate to have bagged the character of Khanum.[17] To prepare for the role, Gupta stayed blindfolded while doing daily activities such as cooking and bathing and spent time with a special voice and accent trainer. She also attended classes at the National Association for the Blind, where she learned basic braille.[18] Revathi, who had previously played a mother to a young child with cerebral palsy in Anjali (1990), agreed to play Laila's mother after reading the script.[19] William Moseley was cast as Jared, a British student in Laila's class.[17]

Filming and post-production

[edit]
an empty street on a sunny day
The latter half of the film is set in Greenwich Village, New York City.

Principal photography for Margarita with a Straw began in 2013 and took place at New Delhi and New York with two separate schedules. Anne Misawa worked as the director of photography.[8][20][21] While the first half of the story is set in the Shri Ram College of Commerce of Delhi University, it was mainly filmed at Miranda House.[22] Students and staff members from institutions such as Ramjas College and Lady Shri Ram were involved actively in the project. Tenzin Dalha, a final year political science student from the former, played one of Koechlin's love interests in the film; Shuchi Dwivedi from the latter played Koechlin's best friend. Other students from the university were cast as members of a local band, which also included Dalha and Dwivedi. Koechlin's father was played by Kuljeet Singh, an English Literature professor from Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College.[22]

Set in the neighbourhood of Greenwich Village, the second half of Margarita with a Straw was shot during the summer in New York.[6] Filming took place at Roosevelt Island and Coney Island.[23][24] Snow machines created the artificial environment required for various sequences set during winter season. The crew faced difficulties in filming certain scenes. At one point, the van that was used to carry Koechlin in her wheelchair broke down and had to be manually stabilised during the shoot.[25] Prior to the filming of the sex sceness, the cast attended workshops to develop a better understanding of emotional and sexual intimacy. Moseley, who was especially anxious about his scenes with Koechlin, attended a workshop conducted by Bose herself.[6] The complete film was shot in two months.[26]

Margarita with a Straw was selected for the National Film Development Corporation of India's Work in Progress Lab initiative during post-production in 2013.[24] It was edited by Monisha Baldawa and the sound mixing was done by Resul Pookutty and Amrit Pritam.[1] Certain scenes with frontal nudity were removed during the editing process to avoid a conflict with the Central Board of Film Certification.[27] Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Ishan Talkies, in association with Jakhotia Group and ADAPT, the film's final cut ran for a total of 100 minutes.[1] Bose had funded the project herself as Viacom18 covered only half the estimated 65 million production cost.[2] Another partner withdrew financial support around ten days prior to commencement of filming. Bose had to apply for a personal loan to pay the bills, but was able to complete the film with support from the crew members, who agreed to their payments being delayed.[15] The international distribution rights for Margarita with a Straw were acquired by Wide Management, a Paris-based sales-production-distribution house.[1]

Soundtrack

[edit]

Music director and singer Mikey McCleary composed the soundtrack for Margarita with a Straw, with Joi Barua serving as the guest composer for both versions of the song "Dusokute". The lyrics for the album were written primarily by Prasoon Joshi, except for the tracks "I Need a Man" and "Don't Go Running Off Anytime Soon", the latter featuring English lyrics written by McCleary. Artists such as Sharmistha Chatterjee, Sonu Kakkar, Anushka Manchanda, Rachel Varghese, Vivienne Pocha, and Rajnigandha Shekhawat provided vocals for the album on various tracks.[28] The first track to be released, the soft rock number "Dusokute", was originally composed by Barua in Assamese and was rewritten in Hindi by Joshi.[29] In April 2015 the complete soundtrack was released under the Zee Music Company label.[28]

Release

[edit]

Margarita with a Straw premiered worldwide at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. The event was attended by the cast and crew, including Bose and Koechlin; the latter said she was overwhelmed by the response and "loved to see the audiences cry and laugh with the movie".[30] The film was subsequently screened at film festivals across Europe, including the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival,[14] the BFI London Film Festival,[14] the Galway Film Fleadh,[31] the Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema,[32] and the Giffoni International Film Festival.[33] Margarita with a Straw had its American premiere at the 2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival.[34] It was screened in Castro Theater at CAAMFest, and shown at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival later that year.[14][35] The film opened the 2015 New York Indian Film Festival,[36] and also featured at the 19th Busan International Film Festival and the Istanbul Film Festival.[14] Out on Film, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and Reeling were among the LGBT events that screened the production.[37][38][39]

After garnering acclaim at the international film festival circuit, the producers of Margarita with a Straw sent it straight to the Central Board of Film Certification. The decision to not send it to any of the major Indian film festivals was looked upon by commentators such as Uma Da Cunha, editor for Film India Worldwide, as a part of a marketing strategy. Srinivasan Narayan, organiser of the Mumbai International Film Festival, said that while Indian film festivals have grown they have not yet reached a level where they can compete for international premieres.[40] Instead, Margarita with a Straw had pre-released screenings for members of the Indian film industry in Mumbai. Along with the cast and crew of the production, these showings were variously attended by Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Vidya Balan, Anurag Kashyap, and Shraddha Kapoor. The film was positively received at the time; Bollywood personalities including Khan and Hrithik Roshan hosted separate special screenings for the film.[41][42][43]

Ahead of its commercial release, the crew organised several promotional events.[44] In an interview with the Indo-Asian News Service Koechlin talked about the importance of marketing for an independent film, saying that although the content of the films is becoming better, Bollywood remains an industry largely driven by box office gains.[45] Bose wanted the film to be marketed as a commercial one despite its art house appeal; she was not very keen on sending it to film festivals and later asked the producers to avoid mentioning the accolades at any of the promotional events.[46] The official trailer was released on 4 March 2015 on Viacom18 Motion Pictures' official YouTube channel.[47] First look posters featuring Koechlin sipping margaritas using a drinking straw were also unveiled on the same day. The film was released theatrically in India on 17 April 2015.[48] It is available on Netflix.[49]

Reception

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]

Margarita with a Straw received positive reviews,[50][51] with some describing the film as "wonderfully liberating"[52] and "an achievement [for Indian cinema]".[53] Particular praise was directed towards Koechlin's performance and Bose's sensitive depiction of cerebral palsy.[50][54] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV lauded the honest depiction of disability and was pleased with how Laila's handicap eventually ceases to matter.[55] Baradwaj Rangan similarly found Bose's treatment of disability and normalcy refreshing: according to Rangan, "there's not a trace of stereotype, not a shred of self-pity" in the characterisation, and the most remarkable thing is that "Laila isn't a differently abled person. She's a person who is differently abled [...] human being comes first, the condition only later."[56] Firstpost's Deepanjana Pal was especially impressed by the sex scenes, which conveyed a "tenderness towards the on-screen lovers" without being weird or coy.[57]

Kalki Koechlin smiling at the camera
Koechlin's performance was acclaimed, and she received several accolades, including a National Film Award.

Koechlin's performance as Laila drew a lot attention from film critics,[58][59][60] who variously attributed her screen appeal to the lack of acting pretence[57] and her "understated artistry".[61] Venky Vembu of The Hindu wrote that Koechlin lent "such verisimilitude to her portrayal of a person with cerebral palsy, that you forget [...] she's an able-bodied actress."[61] Writing for The Commercial Appeal, John Beifuss compared Koechlin's performance to Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the biopic The Theory of Everything (2014). He wrote that her performance would have attracted Academy Award notice in a major film studio production.[62] This view was echoed by other writers as well.[56][63] The supporting cast also received positive reviews. Revathi's "finely nuanced"[64] portrayal of a mother was lauded, and her performance was singled out as "[more] compelling"[65] than any other in the film. Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Gary Goldstein offered a mixed response to the production, but wrote that "it's hard not to be captivated" by Koechlin's and Gupta's performances.[66]

Observers also praised the film's technical aspects, while ascribing its appeal to its script, which was "emotionally arresting and startlingly revelatory"[55] and "straight from the heart".[67] Bose's direction was praised for its restraint and its "luminous austerity"[53] and the "expert use of emotions and moments".[68] Many also highlighted the cinematography and commended Misawa for her "judicious work"[67] and "charming frames lit up with an almost dream-like, soft light".[52]

Commentators such as Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters and Mihir Fadnavis of Firstpost were critical of the change of tone and hurried narrative in the film's second half.[69][70] Although the latter was pleased by the film's first half, he thought that after a "glorious, powerful beginning, Bose fails to figure out a proper resolution."[70] Devesh Sharma was critical of the film's scattered plot in his review for Filmfare. He wrote that it "skips and jumps from one plot point to the other", leaving the viewer unsatisfied.[71] Jamkhandikar similarly noted that Bose introduced "too many contrivances and conflicts" in the narrative.[69]

Box office

[edit]

Margarita with a Straw released in India on about 250 screens.[2] After collecting the meagre sum of 5 million (US$60,000) on its opening day, the figures began to grow over the following days, largely because of positive word of mouth. The film collected improved totals of 7.2 million (US$86,000) on Saturday and 9 million (US$110,000) on Sunday bringing the opening weekend collections to 21.2 million (US$250,000).[72] It faced competition from other productions, including Mr. X and previous releases Ek Paheli Leela and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!, in its opening weekend at the box office, but was expected to do well because of the positive reviews. The first week's numbers held steady at 32.4 million (US$390,000).[73] The film did particularly well in urban areas like Mumbai and National Capital Region where it collected 19 million (US$230,000) and 15 million (US$180,000) respectively.[2] This trend was analysed by Shobha De as marking a "dramatic shift in urban audiences' tastes". She made note of the newfound acceptance of unconventional and sexual themes in Indian cinema.[74] Margarita with a Straw grossed a total of 74 million (US$890,000) during its theatrical run.[2]

Accolades

[edit]

Bose won the NETPAC Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.[75] The production was subsequently awarded the Audience and the Youth Jury prizes at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema, respectively.[76][77] Koechlin won several accolades for her performance, including the Best Actress Award at Tallinn, the Screen Award for Best Actress, and the Jury Award at the 63rd National Film Awards.[78][79] She also garnered nominations for Best Actress at the Seattle International Film Festival and the Asian Film Awards.[80][81] McCleary won the Best Composer Award at the latter ceremony.[82][83]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Harvey, Dennis (16 January 2015). "Film Review: 'Margarita, With a Straw'". Variety. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Margarita with a Straw". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Margarita with a Straw". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d Sebastian, Meryl (31 October 2014). "Interview: In conversation with Shonali Bose on 'Margarita with a Straw'". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  5. ^ "There is a lot of me in 'Margarita, With A Straw': Shonali Bose". The Indian Express. 10 April 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d Stein, Sophia (14 June 2016). "Margarita with a Straw – Yes, please". Cultural Weekly. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  7. ^ Smith, Claiborne (26 January 2012). "Sundance Institute/Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards Recognize Emerging Independent Filmmakers". Sundance Institute. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  8. ^ a b Chatterjee, Suprateek (16 April 2015). "How Kalki Koechlin Literally Lived Her Role In 'Margarita with a Straw'". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  9. ^ "How Kalki Koechlin Almost Missed Margarita, With A Straw Role". NDTV. 17 April 2015. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  10. ^ Gupta, Priya (31 March 2015). "Kalki Koechlin: I practised being on the wheelchair two hours a day for six months". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  11. ^ "Why Vidya Balan's comment on 'Margarita with a Straw' was special for Kalki Koechlin". Daily News and Analysis. 30 April 2015. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  12. ^ Pacheco, Sunitra (4 May 2015). "Exclusive: Kalki Koechlin on being Laila in 'Margarita With a Straw'". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  13. ^ a b Singh, Suhani (13 April 2013). "Kalki Koechlin takes us through Margarita with a Straw's journey". India Today. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d e Pacheco, Sunitra (4 May 2015). "Exclusive: Kalki Koechlin on being Laila in 'Margarita With a Straw'". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  15. ^ a b "'Margarita, With A Straw' a very personal film: Shonali Bose". The Indian Express. 5 October 2014. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  16. ^ Upadhyay, Karishma (29 April 2015). "How Sayani Gupta stirred it up in Margarita & why she wants to work in bangla". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  17. ^ a b "Kalki and Sayani play lesbians on screen". The Times of India. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  18. ^ Mitra Das, Srijana (13 April 2014). "Kalki Koechlin: I was super excited to show my naked body". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  19. ^ Bhattacharya, Roshmila (19 September 2014). "Wrote the first draft after my son's death: Shonali Bose". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  20. ^ Bhattacharya, Anirudh (28 September 2014). "Margarita, with a Straw is an intensely personal tale fictionalised for film". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Margarita with a Straw Cast & Crew". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  22. ^ a b Aggarwal, Umang (8 April 2015). "In Kalki Koechlin's next, Khalsa prof plays her dad and Ramjas student, her love interest". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  23. ^ Koechlin, Kalko (19 April 2014). "Margarita with a Straw, My Laila Diary: I Kissed My Bro & Other Things That Happened On The Set". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  24. ^ a b Luce, Jim (5 May 2015). "Film Margarita with a Straw – Unexpected Brilliance – From India". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Kalki Koechlin, Revathy bond while shooting for 'Margarita with a Straw'". The Times of India. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Scary to play a real-life person: Kalki Koechlin on 'Margarita With A Straw'". News18. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  27. ^ "Kalki Koechlin's 'Margarita with a Straw' cleared by Censor Board with only one cut". Daily News and Analysis. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  28. ^ a b "Margarita With a Straw (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  29. ^ "Margarita with a Straw's first song 'Dusokute' is about love". The Times of India. 4 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Exclusive: Cerebral Palsy doesn't stop one from having fun, says 'Margarita with a Straw' star Kalki". International Business Times. 14 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  31. ^ Dore, Shalini (12 July 2015). "Song of the Sea wins best Irish feature at the Galway Film Fleadh". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  32. ^ "'Margarita with a Straw' showcased in Vesoul Film Festival". Sify. 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  33. ^ "Margarita, with a Straw". Giffoni International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  34. ^ "USA Premiere of Margarita with a Straw". The Times of India. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  35. ^ "Margarita, with a Straw". CAAMFest. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  36. ^ Dore, Shalini (11 March 2015). "'Margarita With a Straw' to Open New York Indian Film Festival". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  37. ^ "Margarita, with a Straw". Out on Film. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  38. ^ Stamets, Ben (17 September 2015). "Reeling: Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival 2015 Preview". Ebert Digital LLC. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  39. ^ Barquin, Juan (28 April 2015). "Margarita with a Straw Depicts Life of a Queer Disabled Woman". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  40. ^ Bhadani, Priyanka (17 October 2014). "'Margarita with a Straw' to take a global gamble before India release". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  41. ^ "PIX: Aamir, Shabana-Javed, Shraddha watch Margarita, With A Straw". Rediff Movies. 9 April 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  42. ^ "PIX: Bachchans, Kalki at Margarita, With a Straw screening". Rediff Movies. 15 April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  43. ^ "Hrithik Roshan to Host Special Screening of Margarita, With A Straw". NDTV. 11 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  44. ^ "Shonali Bose and Kalki Koechlin Promote Margarita with a Straw at Radio Mirchi 98 3 FM". Rediff Movies. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  45. ^ "Bollywood has become a business: Kalki Koechlin". The Indian Express. 12 April 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  46. ^ "'Margarita with a Straw' is a commercial film, says director Shonali Bose". News18. 12 April 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  47. ^ "Margarita with a Straw Trailer Kalki Koechlin in Cinemas now". YouTube. 4 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  48. ^ "Margarita with a Straw". Bollywood Hungama. 4 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  49. ^ "Margarita With a Straw". Netflix. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  50. ^ a b Mehta, Ankita (16 April 2015). "'Margarita With a Straw' Movie Review Roundup: Kalki Starrer is a Must Watch". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  51. ^ "Margarita with a Straw: Response on Twitter". The Times of India. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original on 23 April 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  52. ^ a b Sharma, Paloma (17 April 2015). "Review: Margarita, With a Straw is refreshing, brutally honest". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  53. ^ a b Gupta, Shubhra (18 April 2015). "'Margarita with a Straw' review: Kalki Koechlin pulls it off, and makes us believe in her Laila". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  54. ^ "Vidya Balan's comment on 'Margarita with a Straw' was special for me: Kalki Koechlin". The Indian Express. 30 April 2016. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  55. ^ a b Chatterjee, Saibal (16 April 2015). "Margarita with a Straw Movie Review". NDTV. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  56. ^ a b Rangan, Baradwaj (25 April 2015). ""Margarita With a Straw" ... A light, lovely tale of sexual awakening and other things that make up life". Baradwaj Rangan. WordPress. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  57. ^ a b Pal, Deepanjana (17 April 2015). "Margarita with a Straw review: Kalki Koechlin is brilliant in this heartfelt yet flawed movie". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 13 December 2015. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  58. ^ Felperin, Leslie (15 September 2014). "'Margarita, With a Straw': Toronto Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  59. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (16 April 2015). "Margarita, With A Straw Movie Review". NDTV. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  60. ^ Jha, Subhash (16 April 2015). "Movie Review: Margarita With a Straw". The Hans India. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  61. ^ a b Vembu, Venky (20 April 2015). "Margarita with a Straw: A beautiful mind in a disobedient body". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  62. ^ Beifuss, John (10 September 2015). "Tab Hunter, Wonder Woman and other LGBT heroes in spotlight at Outflix Film Festival". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016.
  63. ^ Lodge, Guy (4 December 2014). "Foreign Actors Forge Global Careers After Film Breakthroughs". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  64. ^ Chatterjee, Suprateek (17 April 2018). "Film review: Margarita, With A Straw". Livemint. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  65. ^ Sharma, Sanjukta (17 April 2015). "Review: 'Margarita With A Straw' Is Flawed, But Admirable". HuffPost. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  66. ^ Goldstein, Gary (19 May 2016). "Strong performances stir 'Margarita' romance". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  67. ^ a b Bhattacharya, Ananya (19 April 2015). "Margarita with a Straw review: Carry enough tissues to the theatre". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  68. ^ Balapurwala, Tasneem (17 April 2015). "Movie Review: 'Margarita With A Straw' is a moving tale of a special life". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  69. ^ a b Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (17 April 2015). "Movie Review: Margarita, With a Straw". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  70. ^ a b Fadnavis, Mihir (16 April 2015). "Why Margarita, With A Straw could have been the best film of the year, and why it isn't". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  71. ^ Sharma, Devesh (16 April 2015). "Movie Review: Margarita With A Straw". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  72. ^ "Kalki Koechlin's 'Margarita with a Straw' mints Rs 2.12 cr in opening weekend". The Indian Express. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  73. ^ Hooli, Shekhar (19 April 2015). "'Mr X', 'Margarita with a Straw' (Saturday) Second Day Collection at Box Office". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  74. ^ De, Shobha (18 April 2015). "The Age of Laila ... And Leela". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  75. ^ Kannan, Indira (16 September 2014). "Margarita, with a Straw wins NETPAC Award at Toronto film fest". India Today. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  76. ^ Lakshmi, V. "Kalki Koechlin's film Margarita with a Straw wins two awards at the Vesoul Film Festival". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  77. ^ "Kalki bags top honors at Tallinn Film Festival". The Times of India. 29 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  78. ^ "Live: Amitabh, Kangana bag national awards". The Hindu. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  79. ^ "Screen Awards 2016: Complete List of Winners". NDTV. 9 January 2016. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  80. ^ Kilday, Gregg (6 July 2015). "'The Dark Horse' Wins Top Honor at Seattle Film Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  81. ^ Mehta, Ankit (26 February 2015). "Asian Film Awards 2015: 'Haider' Bags Four Nominations; Kalki Koechlin Nominated for Best Actress Category". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  82. ^ "Kalki Koechlin's 'Margarita with a Straw' wins at Asian Film Awards". Zee News. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  83. ^ "Kalki Koechlin Starrer 'Margarita with a Straw' Becomes Only Indian Film to Win Asian Film Awards [Photos+Winners' List]". International Business Times. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018.
[edit]