Attending BIFF more important than winning for Aparna

After a gap of four years, Aparna Sen is returning to the Hindi film industry with her directorial, The Rapist. The film will have its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) 2021 in October.

“I’m glad! BIFF is Asia’s biggest film festival. It’s also gratifying to be nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award. Seven films have been nominated and it’s nice to be among them,” she says. However, the actorfilmmaker rues being unable to attend BIFF as an institutional quarantine of 14 days is a must in Busan, and adds that for her, attending the festival is more important than winning.

Even in the OTT era where a film can enjoy global exposure online, Sen believes that the charm of a film festival, which serves the same purpose, will never fade away. “When we see a film get an award at the BIFF, the Venice Film Festival or the Berlin Film Festival, we feel like giving it a watch. The chances of the audience watching a film that has already earned laurels become higher,” says the National Award-winning director, who has reunited with her daughter, actor Konkona Sensharma, for her latest. Ask her about working with her daughter and Sen says, “I’d be quite embarrassed to say this earlier because I feel like I am praising my own daughter. But I’m speaking as a director and Konkona is amazing.”

I’m glad that my film has been selected at the BIFF. It’s Asia’s biggest film festival. It’s also gratifying to be nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award.

FILE PHOTO: WASEEM GASHROO/HT