Small Budget Big Film

While Bengal and India mourns the death of our beloved Soumitra Chatterjee, here is one reason for the whole of Bengal’s film fraternity to rejoice. A new feature film made by Bengali director, Amartya Bhattacharyya is all set for a world premiere at Canada’s premiere film festival Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF). This is a prestigious entry as the film will be screened along with films made by world-renowned directors of South Asia. The festival that will run from 4th to 12th December 2020, opens with Deepa Mehta’s latest masterpieceFunny Boy and will also feature Deepti Gupta’s Shut Up Sona, Sarmad Khoosat’s Circus of Life and Kaveh Nabatian’s Without Havana.

Filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharyya is happy with this success. While speaking to GB he said: “MISAFF is one of those rare film festivals known to champion films that are courageous and alternate. My earlier films 'Khyanikaa' and 'Runanubandha' were also screened at the past editions of the festival, and this time I am absolutely thrilled to get an opportunity to world premiere my new film 'KETU' at MISAFF 2020. I hope the Canadian viewers will welcome a film as relevant and intense as this.”

‘Ketu’ is a cosmic shadow, often referred to as an imaginary planet in Hindu astrology, which has a deep impact on human lives. It represents the consequences of all actions, good and bad. It causes material losses in order to force a more spiritual outlook in a person. The film is an intense psychedelic portrait of life in Isolation, as experienced due to the COVID 19 lockdown. The film shows a character, the filmmaker himself (who shoots himself as ‘selfie-cinematography’), locked inside a small room in the city of Bhubaneswar. 'KETU' features Amartya Bhattacharyya himself playing the lead. Priyanka Ghosh Roy, who also happens to be the producer, plays a very unique character. The music is composed by Kisaloy Roy, who has been a regular music composer in all of Amartya’s films. The film also has a psychedelic RAP ‘Andhakaarer Gorbhe Aami’ voiced by the filmmaker himself. The 73 mins long Bengali feature film was shot and edited in isolation, with no crew.

Festival director Arshad Khan said: “MISAFF is honored to host the world premiere of Amartya Bhattacharyya’s latest film KETU. Our audiences have always admired Bhattacharyya’s quirky and non-conformist cinema. 'KETU' is a timely film cognizant of the times of Covid-19 and I am in awe of how quickly Bhattacharyya turns over works that are so relevant and resonant.”