The New Classmate

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE On her first day of school, Appu has no desire to get out of the bed she shares with her single mother, Chanda. Appu would rather spend the day goofing off. After all, as far as Appu can tell, the daughter of a maid has little hope of being employed as anything else. Still, the tenth grade culminates in exams that determine whether Appu will get into college. And Chanda—who works multiple jobs to pay Appu’s tuition—has big dreams for her daughter. When Appu’s apathy hits a new low, Chanda, with the help of her employer, concocts a madcap plan to motivate her daughter: she enrolls in Appu’s school. If Appu can score higher than Chanda on the next math test, Chanda will quit without mortifying her daughter by revealing their relationship to the rest of the class. But does Appu have what it takes to earn a passing grade? Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s debut film THE NEW CLASSMATE is a heartwarming story about being courageous enough to dream. (In Hindi subtitles) –E.B.