By: Kiran Ayodhya

The Sundance Film Festival has invited Aamir Khan to screen the first-ever Indian movie at its showcase next month, it was recently announced.

Aamir Khan (Getty Images)

Khan’s production of Peepli Live, a dark comedy set in rural India, is one of 14 films participating in the festival’s competition section; about 1,022 films from around the world were submitted to compete at Sundance, according to organizers.

Starring top-notch actors such as Raghubir Yadav, Omkar Das, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shalini Vatsa and Farrukh Jaffer, Peepli Live follows the story of a debt-ridden farmer who threatens to kill himself and throws his whole village for a loop.

“It is a satire which makes a social comment in a funny way,” Khan was quoted as saying The Mumbai Mirror shortly after the selection was announced. “I felt the writer-director, Anusha [Rizvi], has a lot of fire and is an instinctive storyteller. I want to do films which excite me creatively, and this definitely did because of its amazing humor.”

Anisha Rizvi is making her directorial debut with the film.

Khan also left several positive comments on his blog about the selection.

No stranger to international acclaim for his Indian-produced films, Khan established his production company to film Lagaan, which earned a Best Foreign Film nomination at the 74th Academy Awards in 2001.

At the helm of Aamir Khan Productions, the Indian actor and filmmaker also backed the 2007 drama Taare Zameen Par with his eponymous company, which won numerous awards and acclaims in India, including Best Film and Best Director at the Filmfare Awards.

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival runs in Park City, Utah from January 21st through 31st.