Riz Ahmed’s Mogul Mowgli Getting A BFI Home Release

The debut fiction feature from award-winning documentary filmmaker Bassam Tariq (These Birds Walk), co-written, produced by and starring the Emmy award-winning Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli is a bold, vital and electrifying exploration of heritage and identity.

 After a UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2020, a cinema opening to critical acclaim in  October and BFI Player digital the film is coming to Blu-ray with fantastic special features.

Last night Riz Ahmed won the 41st London Critics’ Circle Film Award for British/Irish Actor of the Year for performances including Zed in Mogul Mowgli. The film won Best Music (original score composed by Paul Corley) at the 2020 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), Craft categories, announced on 25 January. It had also been longlisted for Best Cinematography and Best Sound. Ahead of the remaining BIFAs, to be announced on 18 February, it has been nominated in the Best Screenplay (Bassam Tariq and Riz Ahmed), Best Debut Screenwriter (Riz Ahmed [it was also written by Bassam Tariq]), Best Actor (Riz Ahmed) and Best Supporting Actor (Alyy Khan) categories. The film has also just been longlisted for the 2021 BAFTAs in the categories Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.

Related: Interview – Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli Director)

Mogul Mowgli follows British Pakistani rapper Zed (Riz Ahmed) is a rising star on the cusp of his first world tour. But, struck down by an illness that threatens to derail his big break, he’s forced to confront his past, his family and the uncertainty of his legacy.

The film also features Alyy Khan, Sudha Bhuchar,  Nabhaan Rizwan,  Anjana Vasan and Aiysha Hart.

Related: Film Review – Mogul Mowgli (2020) | Second review

Special features

• Presented in High Definition
• Feature commentary by Bassam Tariq and Riz Ahmed
• Mogul Mowgli LFF Q&A (2020, 20 mins): Bassam Tariq and Riz Ahmed talk to Elhum Shakerifar
• Deleted scenes (23 mins)
• Music videos for ‘Mogambo’ (2018, 3 mins) and ‘Once Kings’ (2020, 4 mins)
• Daytimer (Riz Ahmed, 2014, 15 mins): a boy skips school and his familial responsibilities to go to a daytime rave
• Illustrated booklet including a new essay by Elhum Shakerifar and Toba Tek Singh, Saadat Hasan Manto’s satirical short story about Partition, along with notes on all the special features and full credits

Mogul Mowgli will get an BFI Blu-ray release on 22nd February.