Los Angeles, Jan 8 (.) BAFTA nominee Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi) is set to star opposite SAG Award winner Iqbal Theba (Glee) in ‘Days With Dandekar’, a dramedy from Meritage Pictures and Spicy Mango Productions. Film Independent Spirit Award nominee Summer Bishil and Ranjita Chakravarty complete the principal cast, reports Variety.
The film is written and directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leena Pendharkar and centers on R.K. Dandekar (Theba), a man who sets out on an existential journey after losing the job he held for more than 35 years. His attempt to reclaim his beloved 1989 Volvo, traded away by his well-meaning family, evolves into a deeper voyage of self-discovery, shaped by the people he meets along the way.
The ensemble cast also includes Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Gillian Vigman (The Holdovers), David Lengel (Agatha All Along), Eric Allan Kramer (Good Luck Charlie), Omi Vaidya (From Embers), David Clennon (Gone Girl) and Caitlin Carmichael (Midnight in the Switchgrass). Theba additionally serves as an executive producer on the project.
Sharma, who earned his BAFTA nomination for his breakout role in Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning Life of Pi (2012), recently starred in This Tempting Madness alongside Simone Ashley and will appear in the upcoming season of Netflix’s The Night Agent. He is represented by CAA, ColorCreative and Jackoway Austen.
According to Variety, Bishil is best known for her role as Margo Hanson on Syfy’s The Magicians and has appeared in films including Four Samosas and Under the Silver Lake. She is represented by TalentWorks and Mainstay Entertainment.
Chakravarty portrayed Nirmala on Netflix’s Never Have I Ever and appeared in Running Point, with film credits including Perfect Mismatch alongside Anupam Kher and Boman Irani. She is represented by BRS/Gage Talent Agency and Unveild Artist Management.
Theba won a SAG Award for his portrayal of Principal Figgins on Fox’s Glee. His credits also include the Oscar-winning Green Book and a recurring role on Hulu’s Deli Boys. He will next appear in Searchlight’s Super Troopers 3. His extensive television career spans nearly 200 episodes.
Pendharkar drew inspiration for the film from her father’s post-retirement experiences and the fleeting connections formed in everyday life. The screenplay was selected for Tribeca All Access and the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, and received a Seed&Spark/Goldhouse grant this summer, as per Variety.
Production on ‘Days With Dandekar’ has wrapped in Los Angeles. Pendharkar previously directed 20 Weeks, which premiered at Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival in 2016, and recently helmed Lifetime’s A Date With Deception, as well as episodes of Hello, Jack!.
The film is produced by Jane Kelly Kosek (20 Weeks, Take Me Home, Not Since You) and Chelsey Neders (Epiphany), with Rachna Khatau (Baby Daddy, The Big Bang Theory) serving as co-producer. Casting was handled by CSA nominee Emily Schweber (Monica, Four Samosas).
. MI PRP