Shiladitya Bora’s directorial debut at Jaffna ICF
Shiladitya Bora’s directorial debut feature ‘Bhagwan Bharose’ selected as the closing Film of the 9th Jaffna International Cinema Festival in Sri Lanka.
The Vinay Pathak starrer to represent India in the prestigious Debut Film Competition section competing with films from Russia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc .
Director Shiladitya Bora’s recently released debut film Bhagwan Bharose is selected as the closing film of the 9th Jaffna International Cinema Festival which is being held from December 14 to 19 in Jaffna. The film features Vinay Pathak, Satendra Soni, Sparsh Suman, Manu Rishi Chadha, Masumeh Makhija and Shrikant Verma, among many others.
It is one of the 9 films selected in the prestigious Debut Film Competition section competing with films from Russia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka etc.
The plot centres on Satendra Soni and Sparsh Suman, two impressionable young kids whose ideas about faith are constantly questioned and changed as their little world expands and takes into its fold, their country’s fast-changing socio-political landscape.
Director Shiladitya Bora said, “Our film’s universal appeal and cinematic prowess promise to captivate audiences in India and worldwide. This coming-of-age story delves into the essence of lost childhood, blending innocence and humour to create an engaging, important tale. Jaffna International Cinema Festival is very special to me as I have spent quite some time in Sri Lanka and one of my all time long cherished dream projects is based here. This will be our Sri Lanka Premiere, and I am really looking forward to attending it in person.”
Praising the motive of the festival, he added, “The festival is doing a commendable job in celebrating independent cinema in the peninsula whilst creating an understanding of other cultures, promoting harmony and mutual understanding through cinema. Also, leading Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage is one of the Producers of Bhagwan Bharose, this being his first India production.”
Producer Prasanna Vithanage adds «Shiladitya Bora is not a newcomer to Sri Lanka or Jaffna. Shiladitya is a lover of Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan cinema. As an independent distributor, he has helped many Sri Lankan filmmakers in distributing their films. He also wanted to make his first film in Jaffna, unfortunately that did not happen but I am so happy and glad to know that Shila›s first film which I had the fortune of being a Co-producer is finally screening in Sri Lanka, and I hope as much as Shila loves Sri Lanka, the Sri lankan audience, jaffna cinephiles will love Bhagwan Bharose and Shila›s work.»
The film’s official poster was unveiled online by the renowned writer and director Sriram Raghavan. The film features original music by the pioneers of the fusion rock genre in our country, the Indian Ocean (Peepli Live, Masaan).