 THREE years ago, when Parimal Aloke saw Motley Theatre Group's play All Thieves, part of which is based on author Kamtanath's short story Saari Raat, he had found the subject of his first film. The 23-minute short, also titled Saari Raat, has been shortlisted for the Best Short Film nominations at the 13th Annual New York Indian Film Festival.
The film revolves around a conversation between a married couple on the second night of their wedding when they decide to chat honestly with each other. “It shows the latent chauvinism present in every male, which makes them believe that if they have pre-marital sex, it is something to be proud of but if a woman does the same, she is a prostitute,” says Aloke.
The 34-year-old director found support in Naseeruddin Shah, whose theatre group Motley has been credited as the producer of the film. Aloke has been involved with Motley for seven years and has acted and written dialogues for Dibakar Banerjee’s movie Love Sex aur Dhokha. He plays the role of the groom in Saari Raat, along with Paru Gambhir who essays the role of the bride. The film, which was selected for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, 2013, and the 5th Jaipur International Film Festival among others, is set in a small town in India. “The short story was written 25 years ago but the content is relevant even today,” says Aloke, who expects the festival will give his film a boost in the international festival circuit. The New York Indian Film Festival celebrates films that tell stories from the Indian subcontinent. Saari Raat is scheduled to be screened on May 1 and the results of the competition will be announced at the end of the festival on May 4.
|
