Devi Aur Hero starring Vinay Sharma and Chitrangada to screen at Kolkata International Film Fest

Filmmaker Aditya Kripalani's third film, Devi Aur Hero, deals with inner demons
A still from the film Devi Aur Hero
A still from the film Devi Aur Hero

Filmmaker, author and musician Aditya Kripalani's third film, Devi Aur Hero, has been officially selected for screening at the upcoming Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF)  under the Asian category of the NETPAC Award. 

<em>A still from the film Devi Aur Hero</em>
A still from the film Devi Aur Hero

Kripalani, whose debut film Tikli and Laxmi Bomb won the Best Feature Film award at the 10th Berlin Independent Film Festival and the Best Film on Gender Equality at the 20th UK Asian Film Festival in 2018, has again raised socially relevant questions in his third film, Devi Aur Hero. "In India, a country wrought with stereotypes based on chauvinism, imbalances, biases and religious strife, how do we see or perceive a Devi (Goddess)? How, also, do we see or Perceive a Hero?" tells Aditya. 

<em>A still from the film Devi Aur Hero</em>
A still from the film Devi Aur Hero

His first two films, Tikli and Laxmi Bomb and Totta Pataakaa Item Maal were feminist responses to Mumbai and Delhi as cities, respectively, with both having an acerbic tone.  

"This led me to think how does an Indian man, obsessed with seeing someone sexually, get over it? I also wanted to talk about the story of a sex slave and how years of abuse can create a complicated mind that needs to find peace. How a man could actually help a woman's journey of fighting abuse and deep-rooted chauvinism, despite his own inner demon of seeing her sexually," adds Aditya.

<em>Filmmaker Aditya Kripalani</em>
Filmmaker Aditya Kripalani

The story is about Kaali Ghosh, a young woman from rural Bengal played by Chitrangada Satarupa, who is a sex slave of an industrialist's son, in suburban Mumbai. Her abuse has led to blackouts every day, where her mind goes blank and she lands up waking up in strange situations without any memory of how she got there. She meets therapist Vikrant Saraswat, played by Vinay Sharma, who himself is dealing with sex addiction. The plot revolves around whether they are able to break free of their inner demons or not.

<em>A still from the film Devi Aur Hero</em>
A still from the film Devi Aur Hero

"We've imbued the film with contemporary sounds and a visual landscape that is both chaotic as well as organised like the mental landscapes of both the protagonists. We have chosen Mumbai as a city since it mirrors both the chaos and the peace sought by the protagonists," Aditya further explains.

The film Devi Aur Hero will be screened at KIFF on November 10, 3.15 pm at Nandan.

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