Filmmaker Priyanka Banerjee, who shot to fame with her directorial debut Devi starring Kajol and Shruti Haasan, has now unveiled her debut Hollywood project, In Bloom.
Paramount and MTV chose five female directors from around the world to make an anthology of five gripping short films exploring gender complexities across diverse cultures. Priyanka's film Alta is one among the five films.
The other four films are Nigerian, Kenyan, Brazilian and American and use local languages for their films too. Alta, a Bengali short film, is about a defiant teenager refusing to come out of the bathroom and forces her helpless father to seek help to reason with the girl, but things take a turn when their true relationship is revealed.
Having a background in the theatre, Priyanka's unique style encompasses films that are conversational and realistic, with a hint of the surreal/hyper-real when you least expect it. Priyanka's approach to film: building local worlds on screen with an emotional core that is universal.
She tells us, “In Bloom has been a project full of firsts for me- my first time working with a totally international crew, telling a story in Bengali, and having the creative freedom to deal with a sensitive subject with a spirit of experimentation. It has been a very fulfilling experience to work with four talented filmmakers from across the world.
"It is, of course, a matter of great pride to be releasing this on Paramount+ for such a wide international audience. I am excited to know what the Indian audience thinks of the films once they are released here, Alta in particular, which is a departure in many ways from my usual style of filmmaking. It is always a joy to write and direct short films, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do it on this scale while also exploring various relevant themes of gender equity in India," Priyanka adds.