The oldest auction house in India is fighting for survival in the age of eBay and a changing Calcutta. This film follows its owners, brothers Anwer and Arshad, as they struggle to save their family business and a piece of India’s heritage which still brings people from across Indian society through its doors today
Elder brother Anwer recently returned to his homeland after a lifelong career in the UK and is desperate to revive the fortunes of his beloved auction house. It was purchased from the British by his grandfather in 1940 and has been in the Saleem family ever since. But the odds are stacked against him – a chaotic, fragmented city; an ailing workforce and most notably his quarrelsome younger brother…
Younger brother Arshad, India’s longest-standing auctioneer, has worked at The Russell Exchange since the 1960s and knows the place, and the world of antiques, inside-out. He is steeped in the city’s traditions and is sceptical about Anwer’s plans for change. He believes that Kolkata is a city is in terminal decline and the auction house is destined to die out along with it.
This film will be premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Click here for more information.
