Purulia girl, best female director in Venice!

Anupurna Roy, from Narayanpur village in Purulia, West Bengal, left her IT job and chose the path of cinema. Despite the conservative environment of the village and the worries of her family, she grabbed the camera and the story. That courage has taken her to the Venice Film Festival in Italy today.

For the first time, she won the award for best director in the Arijit Singh category for her feature film ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’—the first Indian achievement in this category.

The main story of the film is the story of the union and loneliness of two women from Mumbai, Thua (Naz Sheikh) and Sweta (Sumi Baghel). Thua also works as a sex worker to support the family, while Sweta works in a call center, looking for a life partner. In the hustle and bustle of the city, both of them find refuge in each other.

After winning the award in Venice, Anupurna said, “This honor is for all women. Those whose voices have been silenced, those who have been underestimated—this award will also give strength to their voices.” She also condemned the Israeli attack on Gaza.

Anupurna was an IT employee until 2022. She wrote the script and shot with the actors for three months in a rented flat in Mumbai. She said, “We didn’t make a movie, we made memories. We cooked, we shot, we screamed—that memory is lit up on the world stage today.”

Anupurna said that while this achievement is personally gratifying, it has also increased her responsibility. She wants to tell more urgent stories, to be better. She mentioned Payal Kapadia, Kiran Rao, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Das and Mira Nair as inspirations for Indian women filmmakers.

Critics found the film’s dialogues a bit forced, but praised the performances of the lead actors. Especially in the character of Bhushan Shimpi, the ongoing oppression of women has been proven real and horrific.

The people of Narayanpur village in Purulia must be proud. Anupurna said, “I last went to the village 10 years ago. This time I will return with a different kind of victory.”