Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh says he was in tears when he saw “Nude” — one of the two films excluded from the final selection for the Indian Panorama section of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IIFI).
Ghosh has resigned as the feature films’ jury head after Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi drama “Nude” and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s “S Durga” were reportedly removed from the recommended list.
In a call from New York where Ghosh is currently on a private visit, he said: “I’ve resigned from the chairmanship of the IFFI jury after this (the unceremonious exclusion of the two films). At the moment, I cannot say anything more.”
Prodded to comment on the merits of the two films, he said: “They are both very accomplished films. ‘Nude’ is such a poignant and heartbreaking film. I wept when I saw it.”
Jury member Ruchi Narain added: “I am surprised and dismayed at the way the two films were dropped. Both the films were stunning cinematic experiences which the audiences at the Festival would have loved.”
“Nude” is about a nude model’s dilemmas, while “S Durga” — originally titled “Sexy Durga” — is described as a film about how obsessiveness and worship can quickly degenerate in a patriarchal society into a mentality of oppression and abuse of power.
By Subhash K. Jha
