Indian debutantes ready for Cannes experience

'Chal Chalein' by debutante director Ujjwal Singh, Nagendra Karri's 'Where are you Sophia?' and Irfan Kamal's 'Thanks Ma' will be screened at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.

While 'Chal Chalein' which tells the story of a group of youngsters who start a movement to stop student suicide will be showcased in the Indian Pavilion of the festival, 'Where are you Sophia?' and 'Thanks Ma' will be a part of the Marche du Film Market at Cannes.

"It is a great honour especially because this is my first film. The film will be screened on the 16th and I will be there for the screening. The film came out of my life experiences and is dear to me," Ujjwal Singh, an alumni of Delhi University said.

The young director, who has assisted reputed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, said that the opportunity was special because the film was not a so called 'art house' production.

"It is an entertainer with a message. A suicide does not happen in isolation, a person kills oneself when there is no other way out. My film tries to show parents the impact their actions have on their children and I hope the film gives out a positive message of change," said Singh.

Another Indian debutante at the festival is Nagendra Karri, a Hollywood filmmaker whose movie 'Where are you Sophia?' will be screened at the Marche du Film Market at Cannes.

The film which was premiered at this year's Tribeca Film Festival is a psychological thriller set in the America of the 80's. Karri who also wrote and produced the film said that he was was honoured to be part of one of the most respected events of the international film fraternity.

"Cannes gives me a strong platform to showcase my debut film to the world," he said.
Mumbai-based Irfan Kamal's 'Thanks Ma' which stars a group of real life slum children from the city's Ghat Koper area is also heading for Cannes. The films was earlier nominated in two categories at the prestigious Edinburgh Film Festival.

Bollywood's top studios are featuring their films in the festival market this year. Leading the bunch are star studded films like 'Kambaqht Ishq', 'Aladin', 'Kites' and 'What's your Rashee', which will be showcased at Cannes.
'Kaminey' directed by Vishal Bharadwaj, 'Rajneeti' directed by Prakash Jha, Dharma Productions' 'Wake up Sid' will also be showcased at the Film Market.

While Indian films feature prominenntly in the festival market, they are missing conspicuously from the competition section of Canes which will see cinema legends like Pedro Almodavar, Quentin Tarantino and Ang Lee compete for the prestigious Palm De'Or.