55th IFFI: 3 Bengali films make the cut at Indian Panorama

KOLKATA: For filmmaker Nandita Roy, announcing her latest Bengali film, ‘Aamar Boss’ at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) feels like perfect timing. Her Puja release, ‘Bohurupi’, recently crossed Rs 7.96 crore at the box office and now ‘Aamar Boss’ has been selected for the Indian Panorama section at IFFI. “We feel euphoric,” she said. For young director Soukarya Ghoshal, this moment brings a new sense of pride. His film ‘Bhootpori’ has been selected for this prestigious section, marking a major

milestone in his career.

Like last year, three Bengali films have been selected for the Indian Panorama section at the 55th IFFI, set to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28. Representing Bengal in the feature film category are ‘Aamar Boss’, directed by Nandita and Shiboprosad Mukhopadhyay with veteran actress Rakhi Gulzar, ‘Bhootpori’ directed by Soukarya and starring Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan and Ritwik Chakraborty and ‘Onko Ki Kothin’, directed by Sourav Palodhi. In the non-feature film section, director Subhadeep Biswas’ ‘Mohihara’ has made the cut.

“IFFI is the most prestigious film festival in the country. Showcasing a film there means presenting it on a national stage. It’s also where top filmmakers gather to discuss cinema. So, representing Bengal is truly special,” said Nandita, who produced the Bengali film ‘Brahma Janen Gopon Kommoti’, which was also featured at IFFI in 2020. When asked if Rakhi Gulzar would be joining her and Shiboprosad for the festival in Goa, she nodded in agreement. ‘Rainbow Jelly’ director Soukarya has always dreamt of having his films at IFFI.

His horror fantasy ‘Bhootpori’ is close to his heart and has received praise from both critics and audiences. “For any filmmaker in India, screening films at IFFI is always a goal, especially in the prestigious Indian Panorama section. It screens the best of national cinema, and I’m thrilled that ‘Bhootpori’ has been selected,” said the young maker, who plans to travel

to Goa for IFFI.

This year, 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films will be showcased including five films from mainstream cinema. Randeep Hooda’s ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’ is the opening film of the Indian Panorama. In 2023, three Bengali films namely Kaushik Ganguly’s ‘Ardhangini’, Arjun Dutta’s ‘Deep Fridge’ and Sayantan Ghosal’s ‘Rabindra Kabya Rahasya’ were part of Indian Panorama.