Cinema with spine

Anuparna Roy-the first Indian woman to win the Orizzonti Award for best director at Venice-is not afraid of making the personal political

- BY SAJIN SHRIJITH

An independent woman filmmaker from India requires a thick skin, unlike one from the mainstream. Anuparna Roy knows this. She also knows her target audience: "Those who seek stories that stimulate the intellect—stories that go beyond mere entertainment." Roy tells THE WEEK that she has no doubts about finding a following that gravitates towards unconventional films. Her films may upset or discomfit people, but she is certain they would resonate with audiences at some level. This is not, however, a promise, as Roy is perfectly aware that she is a novice and a "student of cinema".

Having just returned after winning the Orizzonti Award for best director at the 82nd Venice Film Festival for her debut feature, Songs of Forgotten Trees, Roy is exhausted, but finds time to speak with THE WEEK. She is only the second woman filmmaker after Mira Nair to be bestowed with a high honour at one of the most prestigious festivals. She is also one of the few with a spine, like her globally recognised Indian contemporary, Payal Kapadia. Like her, Roy, too, aims to tell stories of individuals who live on the fringes of society. And she has already proven herself capable of speaking up at forums where most would remain silent.