Chai Coffi (Sanjoli Malani) India |

Chai Coffi
Sanjoli Malani
India. 2023. 22 min

After her husbands demise, Lata a 60 year old homemaker embarks on a solo trip to a tea estate in Kerala, leaving the comforts of her village behind for the first time ever. The film follows her extraordinary adventure as she navigates feelings of wonder, grief and surprises. The film takes a turn when she meets 12 year old Mira who is carefree, independent and lives life to the fullest. Chai-Coffi is a heartwarming tale that weaves together themes of friendship, loss, courage and self discovery.

SANJOLI MALANI

Sanjoli Malani is a filmmaker from Mumbai, India and a recent graduate in MA in Filmmaking (with distinction) at London Film School. Her interest in films began at a young age and since then has been eager to build a career in the field. She is drawn towards comedy and slice of life stories and loves cooking when not making films. She started her career in production where she learnt execution of great ideas on a budget and power of effective visuals. Over the years she has expanded in several multidisciplinary roles ranging from production, directing to lighting. This exposure has helped her grow from a visual first narrative to a content first approach. With an aim to move towards long format now, She seeks to find a balance with commercial and independent filmmaking with her work. Her aim is to heal the world with films and food.

DIRECTOR`S NOTE

This film is inspired by personal thought. My mother is a housewife and has been married for the past 36 years. Since I was little, I have noticed that her life just revolves around us, fulfilling our wants and needs, But when asked about her dreams and desires, she told me she had none. It forced to imagine a life without your loved one’s. Chai-Coffi, allowed me to nurture this thought into a solo road trip where Lata embarks on a journey to rediscover herself through her adventures and learns a thing or two about living in the moment from her interactions.