Director Aparna Sen’s film Mr and Mrs Iyer, a love story set amid riots is still etched in our memory- not forgetting 36 Chowringhee Lane, Sen’s first film as a director which won her several national and international awards.
As a special tribute to Aparna Sen the ongoing Habitat Film Festival is holding a retrospective of some of the best films directed by her.
Each day popular Bengali films directed by Aparna are being screened besides an array of other award-winning regional films. The festival which commenced last
Friday saw screening of some recent films like Queen, Yellow, Ship of Theseus, Shahid and Paani. But take heart, you haven’t missed anything as the films will be
repeated till May 18.
On Thursday Kannada film Lucia, directed by Pawan Kumar (6:30 pm), Hindi film Dozakh by Zaigham Imam followed by Mr and Mrs Iyer will be screened.
On Friday Sange Dorjee Thongdok’s Sherdukpen film Crossing Bridges will be screened. The film tells the tale of a young man who returns to his village in the remote Northeast region eight years after losing his job in Mumbai. During his stay he experiences the life and culture of his native place and gradually begins rediscovering his roots.
Gujarati film The Good Road by Gyan Correa will also be screened.
In the retrospective section Goynar Baksho, a Bengali horror comedy film will
be screened.
Kannada film Homework by Ramadas Naidu, Tamil film Soodhu Kavvum by Nalan Kumarasamy and Marathi film Fandry, which portrays the stark reality of Dalits in India seen through the eyes of a young boy who is desperately trying to break the age-old shackles, will be screened on May 17. On the same day Aparna Sen will interact with the audience followed by the screening of her Bengali film Mrinalini. It will be followed by Khasi film RI-Homeland of Uncertainty by Pradip Kurbah and screening of Nayika Sangbad, a Bengali film directed by Bappaditya Bandhyopadhyay.
The last day of the festival will begin with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Bengali film Antaheen. National Award-winning film December 1 directed by P Sheshadri, a hard-hitting tale of a poor family in a village that gets enmeshed in the crooked way of politicians, Malayalam film Ayaal by Suresh Unnithan, Bengali film Sunglass by late Rituparno Ghosh and Tamil film Pannaiyarum Padminiyum by SU Arun Kumar are some of the other offerings. The festival will end with Dekh Tamasha Dekh by Feroz Abbas Khan.
All films will be screened at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Estate till May 18. The festival is open to public.