Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 7 CITY VIEWS May 22, 2026 NYIFF 2026 Showcases Regional Cinema Surge With Diverse Lineup And Award Nominations T he NewYork Indian Film Festival, North America’s longest-running festival dedicated to Indian inde- pendent cinema, has unveiled its official lineup and award nomina- tions for 2026, highlighting the growing prominence of regional storytelling across Indian cinema. Presented annually by the Indo-Amer- ican Arts Council, the festival will feature films in 15 languages and showcase a broad spectrum of narratives ranging from intimate human dramas to stories reflecting the anxieties and aspirations of Millennials and Gen Z audiences. Leading this year’s Best Film nomina- tions are Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), Flowers of Acacia, Romantic Affairs, Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field) and Victoria, underscoring the strong repre- sentation of Bengali, Punjabi, Assamese, Khasi and Malayalam cinema. The 2026 edition will present 19 nar- rative feature films, four documentary features and 27 short films, including several world premieres and a special LGBTQ shorts program. Among the festival’s highlights is a special screening marking the 25th an- niversary of Dil Chahta Hai, directed by Farhan Akhtar, a film widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s defining coming- of-age classics. The festival will also feature a 4K restored presentation of the iconic Hindi film Sholay. Other marquee selections include the BAFTA-winning opening film Boong in Manipuri, the Marathi-lan- guage closing filmTighee (Motherhood), and the Punjabi-language centerpiece Flowers of Acacia. Festival Director Aseem Chhabra said the nominated films demonstrate the breadth and depth of contemporary Indian storytelling. “From human dramas to comedies, and narratives that reflect the angst of Millennials and Gen Z, these works reflect a cinema that is both rooted and globally resonant,” Chhabra said. Suman Gollamudi, executive direc- tor of IAAC, described the festival as an important international platform for independent filmmakers. “NYIFF continues to serve as a critical launchpad for independent filmmakers on the global stage and remains commit- ted to amplifying distinctive voices across Indian cinema,” Gollamudi said. Nirmal Mattoo, chairman of IAAC, said the festival remains a cultural bridge connecting global audiences with Indian cinema. “The 2026 lineup and nominations reaffirm our commitment to showcasing the richness, diversity, and artistic excel- lence of Indian cinema on an interna- tional stage,” Mattoo said. Acting nominations this year include Tillotama Shome for Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), Bharti Achrekar for Tighee, and Meenakshi Jayan for Victoria. In the Best Actor category, nominees include M.K. Raina for Batt Koch and Chandan Bisht for Baksho Bondi. Feature documentaries competing this year include Breaking the Code, Déjà Vu, Marriage Cops and I, Poppy. The festival is presented annually by IAAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Indian arts and culture in the United States. Tickets and festival information are available through the festival’s official website. By a StaffWriter PHOTOS:COURTESY IAAC Former Healthcare CEO Sentenced In $212 Million Investment Fraud Scheme F ormer healthcare company execu- tive Parmjit Parmar was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy that de- frauded investors out of more than $212 million, federal prosecutors announced. Parmar, also known as “Paul Parmar,” 55, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, was sen- tenced May 5 after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud in Newark federal court, accord- ing to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo sentenced Parmar to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $125 million in restitution to victims. Federal prosecutors said Parmar and his co-conspirators, including Sotirios Zaharis and Ravi Chivukula, orches- trated a scheme between May 2015 and September 2017 to inflate the value of a healthcare services company traded on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. According to court documents, a private investment firm invested approxi- mately $82.5 million and a consortium of financial institutions contributed another $130 million to finance a deal to take the company private, bringing the total investment to about $212.5 million. Prosecutors said the conspirators falsely inflated the company’s financial condition and misrepresented the value of several operating subsidiaries. Some of the entities involved in the purported acquisitions either did not exist or gener- ated only a small fraction of the income attributed to them, authorities said. The scheme also involved routing proceeds from secondary stock offerings through bank accounts controlled by the conspirators and disguising the money as company revenue. Prosecutors said the group created fake customers and altered bank statements to conceal the fraud. Authorities said Parmar and his associ- ates fabricated bank records and made false statements and omissions to inves- tors and financial institutions, causing vic- tims to value the company at more than $300 million during the transaction. The fraud was uncovered in September 2017 after Parmar and other conspirators resigned or were terminated from the company. In March 2018, the company and several affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, citing the fraud scheme as a major factor in its collapse. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, and the FBI Headquarters Forensic Accountant Support Team for their work on the inves- tigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George M. Barchini and Kelly M. Lyons, with assistance from As- sistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri, Carolyn Silane and Peter A. Laserna, according to the Justice Department. By a StaffWriter Parmjit Parma PHOTO:X.COM/PAUL_PARMAR