American films in Indian cinema halls are as commonplace these days as, say, a sardar on the streets of Toronto. You don't have to look beyond Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the latest offering, to corroborate that. But it's not the same case with arthouse European movies. There is a whole wealth of cinematic work from the continent that we miss out on in these parts. Sure, a few filter through in sporadic screenings. But otherwise, it's only hardcore film connoisseurs who bother to dig up information online and watch such movies sitting in the comfort of their homes.

The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) is aimed at altering this situation, though. It will culminate in Mumbai this week after having travelled to eight other Indian cities. The packed line-up involves a diverse bouquet of movies from 24 member nations of the EU. None of these are potboilers designed for mass appeal. Instead, they encourage discerning viewers to put their thinking caps on and surrender to the flood of human emotions.