INDIAN FLAVOURS AT CANNES ’22
Regional cinema from India will take centrestage at the film fest, and makers couldn’t be happier
As a director, and that too my debut film, I have knots in my stomach.
R MADHAVAN,
Actor-director
This year, six films from India, narrating diverse stories infused with hues of the country’s culture, will come alive on the screen at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has shortlisted the films to be screened at the 10-day fest, which starts on May 17. This includes R Madhavan’s Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (Hindi, English, Tamil), Godavari (Marathi), Alpha Beta Gamma (Hindi), Boomba Ride (Mishing), Dhuin (Hindi, Marathi) and Tree Full of Parrots (Malayalam).
“If your film goes to Cannes, you’re already nervous as an actor. And now as a director, and that, too, my debut film, I have knots in my stomach,” says Madhavan. An ecstatic Nikhil Mahajan, director of Godavari, shares, “It is a feeling
of tremendous joy for the film to be part of the country’s official delegation... It always feels proud to represent India on a global platform.” His film tells the story of a family living on the banks of river Godavari, coping with death.
From an inspirational reallife story to satire on India’s rural education system, regional cinema will take centrestage at the fest, where India is the country of honour.
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect is a retelling of aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan’s life story as it unravels in an interview by actor Shah Rukh
Khan. Jayaraj’s Tree Full of Parrots is a take on compassion through the story of a young boy. Achal Mishra’s Dhuin shows the tussle between dreams and responsibilities with the
story of an aspiring actor, while Shankar Srikumar’s Alpha Beta Gamma is about a marriage that’s falling apart.
Boomba Ride’s director Biswajeet Bora calls this a new beginning for regional cinema. “As an Assamese filmmaker, it is a big achievement. We face a lot of struggle while making a film, and now getting this huge platform to showcase our film is a great moment for us,” says Bora, whose film shows how education can transform lives in rural areas. “This will help us promote our film because we also struggle to showcase our films, especially on OTT platforms. Now, after getting this exposure, we will get a bigger market,” adds Bora, who will leave for Cannes on May 20 for a screening on May 22.