Pratik Handore
Director Amar Wala’s ‘Shook’ is an upcoming indie drama movie featuring Saamer Usmani and Amy Forsyth in the lead roles. The movie is based on a script written by Wala alongside Adnan Khan and marks Wala’s scripted feature film directorial debut. Usmani and Forsyth were cast in the main roles in mid-June 2023. Filming for the project likely commenced in June 2023 and took place in Toronto, Ontario, mainly in the Scarborough district, which is the story’s primary setting. The film officially wrapped principal photography on June 30, 2023, and is now in the post-production stage.
Director Amar Wala is a Canadian-Indian filmmaker best known for his documentary feature film ‘The Secret Trial 5.’ ‘Shook’ is based on Wala’s 2019 short film of the same name. It is loosely inspired by Wala’s real-life experiences growing up in Toronto, Canada, particularly graduating from college, his parent’s divorce, and his father’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
The film is set to follow Ashish, aka “Ash,” a young aspiring writer who agrees to have lunch with his estranged father. However, Ash learns a secret during the meeting, changing his life and relationship with his father forever. The movie is set in the immigrant-rich suburb of Toronto’s Scarborough and focuses on Ash’s struggles for self-identity and purpose.
Saamer Usmani stars in the lead role as Ashish, aka “Ash.” Usmani gained recognition for his recurring role as Martin in the historical drama series ‘Regin.’ He is also known for playing Chris in the HBO comedy-drama ‘Succession.’ Usmani’s other credits include shows such as ‘Inventing Anna,’ ‘What/If,’ and ‘Katy Keene.’ He is joined in ‘Shook’ by actress Amy Forsyth who will appear as Claire. Forsyth garnered critical acclaim for her role as Gertie in the Academy Award-winning 2021 film ‘CODA.’ She is also known for playing Caroline “Carrie” Astor in ‘The Gilded Age.’
Actor Bernard White will appear in the film as Vijay, Ash’s estranged father. White’s credits include shows such as ‘The Resident,’ ‘Roar,’ ‘Big Sky,’ and ‘Little America.’ He is known for his performance as Firouz in the acclaimed dark comedy series ‘Beef‘ on Netflix. Actress Pamela Sinha appears as Nisha, Ash’s mother. Sinha is best known for playing Miranda Powell in the short-lived post-apocalyptic drama series ‘Y: The Last Man.’ Actors Sharjil Rasool, Faizan Khan, Izad Etemadi, Darrin Baker, and Sammy Azero are expected to appear in supporting roles.
‘Shook’ is being produced by Film Forge alongside Scarborough Pictures, with financing from Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates. Karen Harnisch and Amar Wala are acting as producers, with Ryan Bobkin (‘Infinity Pool’) and Soko Negash (‘Witness’) serving as co-producers and Travis Farncombe as an executive producer. ‘Shook’ will be released by Elevation Pictures in Canada, but a release date is yet to be finalized.
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