Four years have passed since the accidental birth of Ahluwalia. Two of which he spent the highly decorated namesake designer locked in a self-isolating studio away from the Covid fire lines. During this time, founder Priya Ahluwalia has grown into a kind of cinema maestro. By the time she unveiled her autumn/winter 2022 ready-to-wear collection, From Nollywood to Bollywood, she had already directed five of her films, one of which premiered at the inaugural GucciFest. In her statement, the designer said, "I love that movies have the power to connect with audiences, transport them, and foster emotional engagement.
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Ahluwalia took her love for the silver screen up a notch this past Saturday when she unveiled Beloved, her directorial debut. In a mini film-festival at the White City branch of Soho House – which included an Ahluwalia pop-up shop and dancehall stylings courtesy of Girls Can’t DJ – the single-day fiesta indulged in the past, present and future of the creative director’s bicultural identity as a descendent of Indian-Nigerian heritage with roots in London. There was also an intimate discussion traversing themes of representation and identity in film, with host and MC, Miss Jason.
Devised with Ridley Scott’s Creative Group, Beloved is a Black Dog Films production. The ephemeral motion picture is an effervescent and joyful depiction of human connection and honest love. A mother and daughter stand in billowing lavender fields; a man and wife embrace; a pair of friends, or perhaps brothers, find laughter over a meal. At its most authentic and far-removed from a European gaze, Ahluwalia subverts the nuances of contemporary film. “Beloved is a multifaceted display of Black and Brown love stories,” Ahluwalia said. “An ode to the visualisation of love stories we love to watch in Bollywood and Nollywood cinema but rarely get to enjoy in western media.”
