Australian music icon Guy Sebastian will make have his first major acting role in Hindi Vindi, the Australian Bollywood musical feature film shot in Sydney and set to release nationally in February through The Backlot Films.
Hindi Vindi is described as a deeply moving narrative that explores themes of identity, family, and the universal language of music. It also marks a milestone for Australian and Indian cinema as one of the first feature films arising from the India-Australia Co-Production Treaty signed in December 2023.
Created by 24Six Films, a company of Indian Australian filmmakers, in association with Sydney-based Executive Production Company Drishya Sharma Productions, Hindi Vindi tells the story of Kabir (played by rising Bollywood star Mihir Ahuja), a teenage musician on a journey of self-discovery as he races against time to create a song in a language he doesn’t speak.
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Kabir is conflicted about his cultural identity and struggles with a language barrier when his Indian grandmother – portrayed by legendary Indian actor/filmmaker Neena Gupta –comes to live with him in Sydney. The relationship between the two is strained but where words fail, music speaks. By bonding over music, Kabir discovers a new found appreciation for his family, the Hindi language and connection to his Indian heritage.Â
The trailer for Hindi Vindi was released today.
Guy Sebastian’s involvement in Hindi Vindi was announced in August 2024 and met with excitement. The 43-year-old entertainer is known worldwide for his remarkable career as a singer, musician, songwriter, and multi–ARIA Award-winning artist but this is his first significant acting role. Sebastain plays Kabir’s Anglo-Indian father, James, a role which saw him drawing parallels from his own blended family background including his own mother’s Anglo-Indian heritage.Â
Sebastian’s preparation for the role included modulating his voice and accent to suit his character and getting into the psyche of those migrant families who have ties with close family overseas.
Sebastian also contributed to the film’s soundtrack, writing and performing on three of the seven original songs, alongside renowned Bollywood film composer Javed-Mohsin. The result is described as a beautiful fusion of traditional Indian and Western music, that celebrates the healing and transformative power of music. The film also features Sebastian’s original composition ‘Made of Heart’ as the film’s lead single, a song that he wrote with Grammy Award-winning producers The Orphanage who also worked on Guy’s hit single ‘Choir’.
Hindi Vindi was shot on location across Sydney, Australia and is directed by Ali Sayed and written by Jay Sharma with Sayed.
The film is produced by Aniket Deshkar, Jay Sharma, Anil Sharma and Sunny Shah (SEM Films Mumbai) and has development support from Screen Australia. Hindi Vindi will release in Australian Cinemas through The Backlot Films on February 27 2025.
