Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy, blocked at home, feted in Europe
Anuparna Roy’s return to the prestigious Venice film festival has been overshadowed by India’s film board blocking distribution of her 2025 debut, ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’.
Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy, whose debut feature "Songs of Forgotten Trees" won the Best Director award at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, faced censorship blocking in her home country. The film, which tells the tender story of two migrant women in Mumbai, was deemed a "threat to society" by India's powerful film board.
Despite this setback, Roy returned to Venice this week to receive the festival's Best Director prize for her follow-up film, "Lovers of the Blue Night," which also features sensitive themes. Roy, who is part of a new generation of female Indian directors, expressed frustration with the limited opportunities for independent filmmakers in India and the political pressure they face.
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- Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy, blocked at home, feted in Europe freemalaysiatoday.com
