Award winning filmmaker tours the UK with his Oscar qualifying film
ReelN Ltd is hosting a multi-city tour in the UK of short films by award-winning Indian filmmaker Prataya Saha. These will include his latest releases Shonar Khacha (‘The Golden Cage’), Mein Mehmood (‘I Am Mehmood’) and Just Another Day, in collaboration with London Bengali Film Festival.
The tour will take place in October at iconic venues like Midlands Arts Centre (Birmingham), Kalasangam (Bradford), SOAS (London) and Cultplex (Manchester). Saha will be a key speaker at Kingston University’s careers festival, which is solely invited to students. The screenings will be followed by an in-person Q&A with the director himself.
Saha is growing as a solid voice in the short movie circuit. His films, under the Red Polka Productions banner, have been selected in 95+ film festivals around the world, winning around 27 awards in 14 countries.
Speaking about his British premieres, the filmmaker says: “I am incredibly excited to bring ‘Shonar Khacha – The Golden Cage’ to the UK, sharing this poignant tale with an international audience. The journey of creating this film has been a labour of love, and to see it resonate with audiences beyond borders is a truly humbling experience.
“The theme of heritage conservation in our film finds a unique resonance in the UK, a nation with a rich history and a profound appreciation for preserving its heritage. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to ReelN for providing us with this opportunity to showcase our film. Their dedication and hard work have made this tour possible.”
Shonar Khacha (‘The Golden Cage’) (2023) has begun its Oscar-qualifying journey as it secures theatrical runs from 22nd to 28th September in California, USA, among the few shorts from India that will be competing for the 2024 Academy Awards. The movie sparks meaningful conversations about heritage, family, and the complexities of modernisation at the backdrop of old Kolkata in 1989. It revolves around as the remaining three members of a once affluent family debate selling off their palatial ancestral home, with the eldest among them firmly against it.
Saha’s Kolkata International Film Festival winning picture ‘Mein Mehmood’ (‘I Am Mehmood’) (2022) also revolves around the theme of socio-economical struggles, with titular protagonist who is an Asian immigrant in Dubai and struggles to meet his monthly sales target due to his lack of skills in communicating in a popular language (in this case, English). Thus, he risks losing his job while, a thousand miles away, his wife waits for him to send across the money for her daughter’s education. The film has a secured a streaming deal with JioCinema.
Through the lens of neo-realism ‘Just Another Day’ (2021) addresses hard-hitting themes like abuse during pregnancy and the perception of separated/divorced women in society. The story traces the life of a 40-something newly separated woman, Anjali Katekar, as she navigates another 24 hours of her life in the busy city of Mumbai. The short had its world premiere in New York at the New York Asian Film Festival, where it was the only Indian film in the programme. It also streamed on Disney+Hotstar for a year.
The tour will not just be a showcase of Saha’s works, but a celebration of South Asian filmmaking that is breaking barriers, embracing diverse narratives and fostering cultural exchange.
Head over to https://reeln.co.uk/ for all booking details.
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