Exclusive: Anuparna Roy talks about winning the NETPAC award at the Venice Film Festival

After her much coveted win as the Best Director in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section at the 82^nd Venice International Film Festival last year, Anuparna Roy has made India proud once again by bagging the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film this year for her film Lovers in the Blue Night.

This directorial by Anuparna Roy is co-written by Nikhil Lama and stars Neelima Sharma, Pritam Pilania, Bhushan Shimpi , Jatin Sarin, Kajal Keshav, and Vinod Suryavanshi. It is set in Mumbai’s nightlife where the lives of four immigrants intertwine under strange circumstances.

Anuparna Roy opens up about her second win at the Venice Film Festival and more

Anuparna talks to Indulge exclusively about her second win and comments, “It feels surreal and amazing to receive such an important award out of 26 Asian country’s films. This comes under the Venice parallel awards. It gives a lot of pleasure, happiness, courage and hope. I’m looking forward to work harder in my next”

Interestingly, her debut film, Songs of Forgotten Trees which won her the Best Director last year at the Venice Film Festival has still not been screened in her home-country. Regarding the same, she mentions, “I don’t know the reason for my film not getting screened in India because there is a procedure I guess. As I’m very new to the film making industry, I don’t know all the norms and regulations of the censor board."

"We have definitely applied to the censor board and are waiting for their reply. They had one or two objections and they are working on it. The film is in the hands of the review team of the censor board. I have full faith in them and the Constitution and Government of India. I’m pretty sure that when they review my film they will understand that it’s all about love, bonding and friendship. I don’t think these can be harmful for the society so I’m just waiting for them to reply and for my film to get a release in India.”

Does she feel the same fate awaits her second film, Lovers in the Blue Night? Anuparna reiterates, “I am not thinking about it yet because it will be touring a lot of international festivals first. But when it will come for the censorship, as I mentioned, I have faith in the censorship board. Art cannot be stopped and I am sure that the Government believes in it and they will let my second film also get a release in India. We are going to make sure that it releases in India and USA and that’s what we are working towards. I think everything will be fine. So, let’s be hopeful and show some courage to other indie film makers.”

Before signing off, she gives us a sneak peak of her next directorial project. She mentions, “I am making a very personal film next. It is not about migration. It will talk about a couple and the circumstances around them. The name of the film is ‘In the Shadow, In the Light’ which talks about a dysfunctional marriage under the destructive geographical areas of Jharkhand and Purulia. I was working on it for the last three years and it’s high time to make it now because I don’t have many stories. I know I am going to make two or three more films and them I am going to sign off because I don’t know what to make next. I don’t want to make products, I want to make films.”

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