US-based film programmers Omar Ahmed and Ranjit S. Ruprai are set to star in Kamal Swaroop’s influential cult film Om Dar-B -》Launched a new boutique brand The Cloud Door, dedicated to bringing South Asian films to global audiences. Dar” (1988) as its first release.
The launch addresses a long-standing gap in the home video market, where South Asian films have been underserved by major distribution companies. Despite advances in body media and a loyal fan base for Indian classics, many of the region's important works remain unavailable in high-quality home video codecs. Cloud Gate's initiative aims to address this issue, specifically focusing on cult classics and recent masterpieces that collectors and fans have long wanted.
Named after a Mani Kaul short film, The Cloud Door aims to fill this important gap in the home video market, while also promoting easier film screening through partnerships with film archives. The label plans to offer high-definition releases with unique bonus options, as well as commissioned paintings, booklets with new writing, interviews with the filmmakers and archival items.
The brand will look at every South Asian film, traditional and contemporary, with a special focus on diaspora filmmakers from the UK, US and Canada. Each launch event will feature high-definition video and audio, emphasizing cultural context and historical significance.
The founders have extensive credentials in the business. Ahmed, a film academic with a PhD from Manchester College, curated major programming with the More Than Bollywood season and more recently at the Barbican Center in London and the Leeds Global Film Festival Indian Film Showcase. Ruprai, best known for founding Supakino, a film screening organization that screened films on unusual themes, has established himself in the London independent film scene with unique program ideas such as Showcase Hijab and Bombay United Double Banknotes status.
The crowdfunding marketing campaign for “Om Dar-B-Dar” pre-orders is well thought out, with the brand's initial launch date set for the end of 2025. Screening licenses are available at discounted prices for Cinema Golf equipment, furthering the brand’s mission of wider distribution in South Asian films.
“The launch of a boutique Blu-ray label and film licensing service specifically for South Asian films is long overdue,” said Rupre and Ahmed. “Movie fans around the world will finally have the opportunity to enjoy many of these films in high definition and packed with extras. We're taking great care to convey the plethora of curation and love for the movies we've seen in the simplest boutique residential video brand on the market ”
Omar Ahmed, Ranjit S. Rupre
Nishan Shukla
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