Ketan Mehta's forthcoming bilingual film ('Rang Rasiya' in Hindi, and 'Colours of Passion' in English) will be screened at the 52nd London Film Festival on Oct 25 and 30.

And that's not all. It will be screened at the MIACC Film Festival, organized by Indo-American Arts Council, in New York on November 6 and 8.

The movie is a sensuous love story of painter Raja Ravi Varma and his muse Suganabai. It also deals with an obscenity case slapped on Raja Ravi Varma by puritans in the late 19th century.

Mehta has reportedly said, "Though Raja Ravi Varma died in 1906, the film has a contemporary appeal as the conflict between artistic freedom and social taboos that pestered the painter is still a matter of debate in India. M.F. Hussain is now a victim. They feel proud about India's successful moon mission, but on the other hand, they get jitters at the sight of a nude painting."

Mehta informs that he wanted to make a film on the life of Raja Ravi Varma since he studied art as a hobby during his FTII stint.

He has added, "What drew me to Varma was the knowledge that the images of our Hindu gods and goddesses that have inscribed on our minds were actually his creation."

Mehta said he signed Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen, Paresh Rawal and Jim Boeven for the December release because he didn't want popular stars to overshadow the film's theme. He also chose foreign cinematographers (Rali Ralchev and Christo Bakalov) to keep the perspective right.

Just hope that for Mehta's sake (he's waited for long after Aamir's Khan's big flop 'The Rising: Mangal Pandey') the overenthusiasm pays off!