Los Angeles: Cinedigm announced that it has acquired all North American rights to the romantic comedy 7 Days starring Karan Soni (Deadpool, Office Christmas Party) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers, Bad Education). The film is Roshan Sethi’s feature directorial debut who, along with Soni, co-wrote it.
It also features Gita Reddy (Orange Is The New Black), Zenobia Shroff (The Big Sick), Aparna Nancherla (The Great North), and Mark Duplass (The Morning Show) and is produced by the Duplass Brothers. The movie follows two, young Indian-Americans, Ravi (Soni) and Rita (Viswanathan), who are ideological opposites but are set up by their traditional Indian parents on a pre-arranged date. The story begins to unfold when a shelter-in-place mandate is issued as the COVID outbreak intensifies and Ravi is forced to spend the night at Rita’s.
Sethi, whose previous projects fell into more of the drama genre, explained that “Karan, who was born and raised in India, introduced me to the comedy world. So many stories about the immigrant experience are dark and tortured but the truth is that they can be very funny. We think 7 Days is a love story you haven’t seen before rooted in the hilarity and warmth of Indian-American culture."
“It is a character-driven film where more of the goodness and positive aspects of what you need to face during times of uncertainty is explored. Roshan knows how to craft a good story and that was evident in its execution,” said Cinedigm chief content officer Yolanda Macias. “Karan Soni and Geraldine Viswanathan bring impressive comedic timing and genuine emotion to their roles. We are thrilled to share this festival favorite with audiences everywhere.”
“Having worked with Karan when he was an actor on 'Safety Not Guaranteed' and later during his Directorial Debut in 'Room 104', I was thrilled when he and Roshan brought us this project,” said executive producer Duplass. “7 Days represents millions of stories, not only of where you were when this hell of a year happened, but who you were with when everything shifted. I think audiences will see themselves in these characters because they represent a real part of all of us, and hopefully, they are left with a feel-good high from this hilarious, unique, heartfelt story.”
After the film’s World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, 7 Days went on to screen at festivals around the world including the Bentonville Film Festival (Best Narrative Feature), San Diego Asian Film Festival (Best Narrative Feature), Naples International Film Festival (Best First Feature), BFI London and the Nashville Film Festival. Sethi, Soni, and Viswanathan will next be honored in the New American Perspectives program at the Hawaii International Film Festival. This recognition celebrates immigrant contributions in cinema and the three filmmakers will also present a master class on their collaboration and their work in film and television during this time.
Cinedigm is eyeing an early 2022 US release date for 7 Days in theatres and on streaming. Worldwide distribution rights are still being negotiated.
Earlier this year, Cinedigm, the leading independent streaming entertainment company serving enthusiast fan bases, announced the formation of Cinedigm India after it finalised the acquisition of India-based, FoundationTV, a comprehensive video streaming platform provider. Cinedigm channels will launch in the region in early 2022 with plans to establish Cinedigm India as a key content distribution and licensing entity in India and all of Southeast Asia. This includes the expansion of Cinedigm’s current streaming channels and services, as well as the development of future, regionally focused services across AVOD/SVOD and free-ad, supported television video streaming platforms.
