Suggested Topics :
Exclusive | From West Bengal Village To Venice Film Festival: How Anuparna Roy Quit IT Job and Scripted History With 'Songs of Forgotten Trees'
Anuparna Roy maps her journey, what the award means for her, and being inspired by other female filmmakers in India
Filmmaker Anuparna Roy's journey from Purulia, a district in West Bengal, to the prestigious Venice Film Festival is a story of courage. The two places are approximately 7,000 km apart, but for Roy, the true distance was never physical – it was the challenge of going against her family's wishes, her village's traditions, and societal expectations. When she stood on the Venice stage to accept the Orizzonti Award for Best Director for her feature directorial debut Songs of Forgotten Trees, it wasn't just a win; it was a triumph over the many obstacles she'd faced.
"I have lost count of the number of times I have said thank you since last night!" quipped Roy, as she spoke to The Hollywood Reporter India from Venice, hours after she bagged the coveted honour.
Backed by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, Songs of Forgotten Trees follows the story of two women and how their lives get intertwined in Mumbai. The film is produced by Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi and Ranjan Singh.
In an interview with THR India, the filmmaker mapped her journey, what the award means for her and if she feels her village will now be happy with her historic win.
Edited excerpts:
Can you place us in the room when you learnt that you had won?
Oh, I think it was visible in my speech! I was shaking from the inside. I was about to cry, but I held it together. I believe in holding a lot of emotions inside me rather than expressing them. So, I sort of cope with it. I tried to give a better speech... I don't know if I was successful!
What does this win mean on a personal level?
It makes me humble, but a lot of responsibility comes with it. I want to talk about third-world cinema, and I'm so grateful that my producers backed me from the beginning on Songs of Forgotten Trees. All of the producers have told me, 'Focus on making your next, don't look back.' Even Anurag sir told me that awards are a responsibility, I have to keep telling important stories and be better.
What does it mean for a girl from rural Bengal to not just go to Venice with a feature directorial debut, but also win at the festival?
I worked in the IT sector until 2022 and then moved to Mumbai. Before this, I was in Delhi. I was studying journalism, which I later quit, and held two-three jobs while moonlighting. But of course, I come from Purulia, West Bengal, from a tribal area called Narayanpur. People there are very naive and conservative. So a lot of things are hard for women, such as standing up for themselves. Initially, my parents were shocked and not happy to learn that I wanted to quit my well-paying IT job and pursue filmmaking. They advised against it and just shut me down saying that the whole village would be angry. They weren't supportive initially, but they eventually came around... just like any parents do for their child.
Also, in terms of resources, it was extremely hard for me. I had moved to Mumbai in 2022, so it was a new city that I was trying to understand. I developed this script and set it inside my old rental apartment, where I used to stay in Azad Nagar. But I had a great team. It was more like making memories than cinema. We would cook food, shoot, shout! The two wonderful actors, to whom I also dedicate this award, left everything and practically moved in with me for three months in that apartment. So, yes, it has been a difficult journey for me. But trust me, I'm enjoying my time now.
What was your previous job like?
I used to sell brands! It was a high-paying job, but my aim was always to make films since I was in my late teens. I knew I would end up either writing or directing, but I didn't know how I would get into the industry.
All the producers mentioned how you never gave up on the film, even when it was challenging. What did they mean?
More than my will, I would say it was their will too. It is a film based on two women and their intimacy, which ended up being supported by seven male producers! I am not being humble, they really had my back. That's how the film was possible.
How do you think the village would be reacting right now?
(Laughs) Because the exposure of filmmaking is not really there, I don't know. But, I'm pretty sure that they will be part of the celebration in their own way. I'm sure they will be proud of me now. It has been 10 years since I last went there.
This historic win comes after the award-winning run of All We Imagine as Light, another film anchored in female friendships, helmed by a female filmmaker. Is this an exciting time where women-led stories from and about India are getting a global spotlight?
It is. And I must mention something here: I absolutely admire Payal Kapadia and look up to many other women filmmakers, including Kiran Rao, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Das and Meera Nair. These are the people who always inspired me. So I cannot keep my success to myself. If they were not there, I would have been here either. If they didn't make the cinema they did, I wouldn't have made it either.
Apart from the win, what will you remember about the Venice Film Festival? Something that you think will stay with you forever?
Just after the premiere, it was my first time on stage. And before that, there was a five-to-seven-minute-long standing ovation. The flashlights of phones from the audience were shining on the team members. The audience was rooting for us. And I was witnessing the best time of my film. I think that's the best memory I'm carrying with me. Happy faces of the team, which powered through in Azad Nagar in Mumbai, and shone on the global stage. I want our cinema to keep shining.
