Filmmaker Anuparna Roy made headlines at the Venice Film Festival this year, where her debut feature ‘Songs of Follows Trees’ won a major award – Best Director. Today, in a special interview with India Today, the young director shared that this moment was not very short. The film is about the two women whose life interferes with Mumbai and finds a sense of purpose in the city.

In addition to addressing his Venice speech, Roy also explained how challenging his visit was, producing the film, and supporting filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap.

What about speech?

Roy’s speech in Venice, where he touched Palestine, attracted strong reactions to returning home. She remains firm in her stand. He explained, “Whatever I said, I meant. If a genocide is happening anywhere, whether it is in India or elsewhere, and I do not speak about it, it will worry deeply to me. It does not mean that I am less Indian or I do not support my country. My comments were taken wrongly. I would love my country and I will not say too.

He said, “I have just mentioned that this time I can harass some people inside the country, some relatives of my own family. But my country is always the first. My love for my country is absolute. I think my opinion was incorrectly taken.”

During an emotional address on the festival, for Anwarard, the director said, “Every child is entitled to peace, freedom, liberation and Palestine, there is no exception. I do not want to clap for it, it is a responsibility. It is a responsibility. Think for a moment and stand next to Palestine. I can disturb my country, but it doesn’t matter for me.”

On winning the award

“It was certainly real to me, and I was completely very excited and nervous because it was my first time. It was standing on one stage, that too, in Venice. I was scared, excited, was a mixture of everything,” he told India today.

The film, which was a challenging journey to complete, received an extraordinary reception at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Anuparna Roy said, “The response was very amazing and surprising. It was not at all estimated. As the film started, I was very nervous and in doubt. But the moment we got a five -minute standing ovation, she said all this. All this removed all my worries and I hope we are beyond films.

In addition, Roy admitted that it was not easy to keep the film together. When asked what he had to go through obstacles, he said, “This is just a request to tell the story, the only thing to tell the story was the only thing that pushed me towards execution.”

He said, “More than the journey, I would like to remember people in the journey, it was an amazing experience of the great people around me who understood the vision and working without expectations.”

Support from film fraternity

His film ‘Songs of Forgogen Trees’ also received significant support from filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who came on board as a presenter. Roy credited the producer of the film, and discussed how Kashyap supported the project.

For bringing Anurag sir on the board, I want to thank the film’s lead producer Ranjan Singh. Even if Anurag came on board, he was not sure, because the film had to impress him. Without the merit of the film, he was lucky. We were lucky that I loved and did not like the film very much. Herself, but also due to incredible people standing behind it. ,

Not only the Venice Film Festival, The Audience or Kashyap, Roy’s victory was also celebrated by the industry colleagues. Recalling the desires received from all over the industry, he said, “People are so beautiful in Bollywood that they do not hesitate to congratulate someone else’s success. That is why I think Bombay is one of my homes.”

“Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Konkona SESEREMA, Radhika Apte, Vikramaditya Motavane, everyone just reached out and congratulated me. What else do you want?” He said.

From family doubts to global recognition

The award has also brought a change at home. Roy, who once revolted against a safe job to pursue filmmaking, said that his parents now look at their profession differently.

“They consider my profession as a profession now. I was a rebel inside the house. My father used to tell me, why do you have to talk about marginalized people? Why do you not write a love story? And I used to explain that we are Indians, most of the time I feel as a filmmaker, I should feel realism. I know something.”

For now, the ‘Songs of Fortegene Trees’ continues to travel to its festival before releasing in India. “I think it will take time to release in India, as Anurag Sir said that we are planning to cover all festivals. This is my first film, and I want to understand what happens in festivals. But of course we will return to the country and show up the film,” he confirmed.