A year after making history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Best Director Award in the Orizzonti section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for her debut feature ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’, filmmaker Anuparna Roy returns to the prestigious festival with her second feature, ‘Lovers In The Blue Night’, as the only Indian film to compete.
Selected once again in the Orizzonti Competition at the 83rd edition, Roy becomes one of the very few Indian filmmakers to have two consecutive features premiere in competition at Venice. Roy's continued presence at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals is a significant milestone.
Produced by Vikas Kumar (‘Aarya’, ‘Kala Pani’), Sharib Khan, Bibhanshu Rai and Romil Modi, who also backed ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’, the film is executive produced by Neeraj Churi (lead producer of acclaimed ‘Sabar Bonda’) and co-produced by Navin Shetty. The film is produced by Khan & Kumar Media in association with Ammi Media.
Set against Mumbai's restless nights, ‘Lovers In The Blue Night’ follows four migrants — a closeted husband, his lonely wife who works in a bar, a small-time thief and a pimp — whose lives intersect through unexpected love, survival and forbidden desire. Told in Hindi with Sylheti Bengali and Marathi, the film explores longing, migration, identity and the search for belonging in a city that leaves little room for vulnerability.
The film stars an ensemble cast, including Neelima Sharma, Pritam Pilania, Bhushan Shimpi, Jatin Sarin, Kajal Keshav and Vinod Suryavanshi.
Last year, Anuparna Roy became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Best Director Award in the Orizzonti section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for her debut feature ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’.
Excited about returning to Venice, Anuparna Roy says, “I'm overwhelmed with gratitude that ‘Lovers in the Blue Night’ is heading to Venice. Returning to the Orizzonti Competition, after ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’ last year, is both humbling and deeply emotional. I'm deeply thankful to the Venice programming team for believing in our film, and to our producers who have stood by my vision with unwavering trust across both films. This recognition belongs to the entire team who poured their hearts into the film, and I hope it encourages more honest, fearless, and deeply human stories to find their audience."
One of the lead producers and co-founder of production company Khan & Kumar Media, Vikas Kumar says: “At Khan & Kumar Media, Sharib and I have always believed that powerful stories deserve to travel beyond borders. Anuparna Roy is one of the most distinctive filmmaking voices of her generation, and we're honoured to continue this creative journey with her. Our sincere thanks to the Venice programming team, and to our entire cast and crew, for helping bring this film to life. We can't wait to share it with audiences around the world.”
Vikas further adds, "For an independent filmmaker to return to Venice with a second consecutive feature is an extraordinary achievement, and we couldn't be more thrilled to support Anuparna's journey."
The director says the film draws from her own life as a migrant, watching working-class lives slowly dissolve into the restless pulse of the city. “As a filmmaker, I have always been drawn to stories that are deeply personal and political. As a child, I knew a woman named Ameena, who worked as a bonded labourer in my hometown. She became my constant companion. One day, I innocently asked her why she and her husband Karim never slept together. She quietly replied, ‘He doesn't take me with him.’ I did not understand what she meant then, but the moment stayed with me. Through this film, I wanted to carry that memory into an imagined Mumbai, where Ameena chooses her own freedom and desire, and lives the life she wants — even if that freedom leads her into another kind of loop, one that is finally chosen by her.”
Hailing from Narayanpur in Purulia, West Bengal, Anuparna is a graduate in English literature from Kulti College. Her feature debut, ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’ went on to screen at major international festivals including the BFI London Film Festival, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, Cork International Film Festival and Lisboa Film Festival, earning accolades including the FIPRESCI Award for Best Screenplay and the Audience Award at Cork.