Women, Environment Shine in IFFI 2021
Manu Shrivastava | Panjim
The ongoing 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is being hailed for its many firsts. This year, IFFI 2021, continuing its tradition, has given space to several specially-curated women-centric content and films highlighting environmental issues of the day, for cinephiles and budding filmmakers.
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| IFFI 2021 showcased films tackling pressing environmental issues |
Hindi Film Industry's most popular star of the nineties and of the Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast number, Raveena Tandon is set to make her digital debut with Netflix’s Aranyak. A panel discussion on Aranyak held at IFFI 2021 in Goa was attended by Raveena Tandon, Monika Shergill, Creator Rohan Sippy, Director Vinay Waikul and Siddharth Roy Kapur. "My debut in films, Patthar Ke Phool was with Sippy Films. My OTT Debut is now with Aranyak, again Sippy Films. I hope a repeat of the success follows," says Raveena Tandon. Soon after the panel discussion, the first episode of the series was screened before an enthralled audience.
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| Team Aranyak during a discussion at IFFI 2021 |
Set in the dense forest of the Himalayas, the thriller shows local cop Raveena Tandon joining up with Parambrata Chatterjee to solve a murder case of a teenage tourist. Even as they struggle to nail the serial-killing entity, Aranyak has old skeletons dug up and a forgotten myth revived. Aranyak's trailer tends to confuse the viewer as the narrative keeps changing from a murder mystery to a para-psychological thriller. Here again, the female protagonist played by Raveena stands out one who has given it all to her career.
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| Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon at IFFI 2021 |
For the first time in the history of the festival, five OTT giants are participating through screenings, In-Conversations, interactive sessions, etc. In a first for the OTT industry itself, Bollywood actor Nushrratt Bharuccha's latest film Chhorii had its World Premiere held at the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India in Goa at Maquinez Palace in Panjim.
Chhorii is a horror film that revolves around the character played by Nushrratt who is a victim of an orthodox societal practice that discriminates against women. In Chhorii, Nushrratt plays the role of a pregnant woman attempting to save her life and that of her unborn child's from a spirit. While running away from arduous circumstances, she lands up in a haunted house.
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| Team Chhorii at the World Premiere of their film at IFFI 2021 |
An In-Conversation session held during the film festival was attended by Chhorii's team including actor Nushrratt Bharuccha, Manish Menghani, Vikram Malhotra, Jack Davis and director Vishal Furia. The film was screened after the In-Conversation session.
In yet another achievement for women in the industry, Veteran Hindi Film Industry's filmmaker Aruna Raje, India's first trained woman technician, is expected to hold a Masterclass on Filmmaking on 27 November 2021.
IFFI showcases films tackling environmental issues
IFFI 2021 showcased works of filmmakers who have tackled the issue of environmental degradation, ecological imbalance and climate change in a thought-provoking and sensitive manner. Tamil-language drama film Koozhangal (Pebbles), directed by debutant P. S. Vinothraj and starring Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan, was screened at IFFI in the Indian Panorama (feature film) section.
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| Child actor Chellapandi from Pebbles felicitated at IFFI 2021 |
The film is based around two arid hamlets in Tamil Nadu marred by nature’s wrath - water scarcity, scorching heat and barren land. An alcoholic man, Ganapathy, embarks on an arduous journey with son Velu to bring back his wife who ran away following a night of abuse at the hands of her husband.
The duo walks through an unforgiving terrain in the scorching summer heat that forces them to ‘confront their emotions’ and are finally comforted by the ‘nurturing women.’ The film has been nominated for the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at IFFI 2021. It also happens to be India’s official entry for the 2022 Academy Awards in the international feature film category.
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| A still from Tamil film Koozhangal (Pebbles) |
Praveen Krupakar’s Kannada film Taledanda featuring late Sanchari Vijay, Mangala N., Chaitra Achar and Ramesh P. had its World Premiere in the Indian Panorama (feature film) section at IFFI 2021. Taledana revolves around the lives of the Soliga tribals and how they are affected by deforestation and climate change.
The protagonist is a mentally-challenged young man Kunna, played by Sanchari Vijay, who is a passionate ‘nature lover’. He has inherited a wealth of knowledge about trees and their qualities from his father.
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| A still from Kannada film Taledanda featuring late actor Sanchari Vijay |
When the local government approves felling of trees in his village to build a road, Kunna does everything to stop it, in the end, even gives up his life to protect them. Director Praveen Krupakar said, “In last 100 years we have destroyed 50 percent of nature and ecology. I have witnessed the love of my one disabled friend for nature for more than 30 years and this inspired me to do this film. Climate change is real and not imaginary as some of us would like to believe and if this story reaches even 0.1 percent of the audience I would think I have done my job.”
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| Team Taledanda felicitated before the screening of their film at IFFI 2021 |
