Marking A Milestone By Connecting The Past To The Present

Awarded Best Film at the 31st Singapore International Film Festival The film premieres globally on Netflix on 7th May 2021

The maker of Soni, director Ivan Ayr, pens his thoughts on what makes his next film - Milestone, one about a journey that mirrors modern-day struggles.

Ivan Ayr: ‘Milestone’ is an illustration of an individual’s struggle to find relevance. At the heart of the story is a seasoned truck driver, Ghalib, against the backdrop of a cut-throat capitalist system. I chose a truck driver’s perspective to highlight this struggle because I see something peculiar in the nature of the occupation. An inherent contradiction: mobile, but stuck within the confines of their own truck - which somewhat mirrors modern life in general. We are all prisoners of our own perspectives, becoming increasingly detached from the world around us. As Ghalib comes face to face with one of the painful aspects of the cycle of life - the young replacing the old - he realizes that covering physical distances does not necessarily mean that one is getting anywhere in life. 

Though the beginnings were quite humble (with just me and my producer scouting locations and touring truck stops), the film was very ambitious from the start. ‘Milestone’ was officially selected by two of the most prestigious film festivals in the world - Venice and Busan; both renowned for discovering and showcasing some of the best cinema every year. The film was awarded the top prize at the 31st Singapore International Film Festival, and lead actor Suvinder Vicky won Best Performance.

Through a meditative narrative that immerses the viewers in its atmosphere, I invite  Netflix’s global audiences to experience the tender emotions of the story's seemingly hardy characters and ultimately get close enough to the protagonist so that they feel his deep-seated fears of life’s unexpected changes.

About Milestone

Produced by Kimsi Singh, the poignant film follows the story of a recently bereaved, middle-aged truck driver, Ghalib, who is coping with a personal tragedy and the consequences thereafter, while facing the existential threat of losing his job to a young recruit. The events in the story come together as Ghalib's truck touches the 500,000 kilometres mark - a record at his company.

Producer | Kimsi Singh

Director | Ivan Ayr 

Writer | Ivan Ayr, Neel Mani Kant

Cast | Suvinder Vicky, Lakshvir Sara

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