Finding Light in Darkest Frames

Tannishtha Chatterjee talks about why indie films must be free from market forces and how she continues to have a positive view of life

- By DHAVAL ROY

When Tannishtha Chatterjee wrote and directed Full Plate, she was telling the story of Amreen (played by Kirti Kulhari), a Muslim homemaker who becomes a cook to earn a living after her husband is grievously injured in an accident. Through the narrative, the filmmaker explores gender roles, identity, patriarchy, and food politics. But when the film reached its post-production stage, little did Chatterjee know that, besides societal norms, it would mirror her own life.

Before the project was completed, Chatterjee was diagnosed with oligo-metastatic (stage IV) cancer. She reminisces, “It’s already so tough to make an independent film, and just when I thought people were willing to fund it, I was hit with the diagnosis. The struggle was relentless.” Yet she firmly believes that when you're in a deep ditch, only then can you laugh about it. “And Full Plate is also a film like that,” she says. Premiered at the Busan International Film Festival 2025 and recently screened at the Dharamshala International Film Festival, the film deals with the harsh realities of Mumbai's slum dwellers, yet it’s a slice-of-life story served with humour.