Produced by BIG Pictures, Dasgupta’s Janala is to be premiered in the Masters of World Cinema section at Toronto International Film Festival. Dreams, quests and journeys are the strands that make the fabric of life, and exploring the many layers of this fabric through cinema is Buddhadeb Dasgupta. The acclaimed filmmaker’s latest exploration through a ‘school window’ is slated to be premiered in the Masters of World Cinema section at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival to be held from September 10-19, 2009. Dasgupta’s latest film Janala (The Window), which has been produced by BIG Pictures, touches on the nostalgia of childhood and the quest to get back to roots while struggling to keep one’s neck above the waters of the present day muck.
The Toronto International Film Festival is almost the second home to the economic professor-turned-filmmaker, as Janala is his sixth film to be featured in the revered section at the festival. The film will be premiered in the masters of World Cinema section at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Masters section was introduced in 1996 and has since celebrated the work of outstanding filmmakers such as Ken Loach, Nagisa Oshima, Takeshi Kitano, Jean-Luc Godard, Shohei Imamura, David Lynch, Carlos Saura and Bernardo Bertolucci.
“I am glad that my film on a simple dream of a not-conventionally-successful man has found a coveted space in the Masters of World Cinema section of the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Janala is an attempt to be a reminiscent of the times when we sometimes try to make a simple dream come true, but the cogs of destiny leave us feeling unfulfilled,” said Dasgupta.
According to Mahesh Ramanathan, COO, BIG Pictures, “Before Buddhadeb started his film, he was sure that “Janala” was his finest script. Now the film is sure to be rated by connoisseurs of world cinema as Buddhadeb’s finest film. This is a momentous first entry for BIG Pictures in the biggest film festival in North America. We are delighted that Buddhadeb Dasgupta and BIG Pictures will rub shoulders with the world’s best cinema talent at Toronto.”
Says Cameron Bailey, Co-Director, Toronto International Film Festival “Buddhadeb Dasgupta is one of India’s finest directors and his films have always found a home in Toronto.We are delighted to premiere his new masterwork.”
Dasgupta’s other films, which have been showcased at the masters’ section, are Uttara (The Wrestlers) in 2000, Mondo Meyer Upakhyan (Tales of a Naughty Girl) in 2002, Swapner Din (Chased by Dreams) in 2004, Kaalpurush (Memories in the Mist) in 2005 and Ami, Yasin Aar Amar Madhubala (The Voyeurs) in 2007.
Janala is the journey of a solitary man against the wrath of circumstances when he decides to pursue his little impulsive dream. An accidental visit to his school in Jhumurpur village prompts Bimal to believe that it is his turn to give back to his alma mater. He begins with trying to reconstruct the broken window of his favorite corner classroom, and decides to take the help of the local moneylender. But when the moneylender fails to pay him the promised sum, Bimal discreetly uses the money that his fiancée Meera had been saving for their soon-to-born child. But when he reaches his school with the window, the authorities reject it. When Meera learns about the money spent by Bimal she leaves him. The film stars Tapas Paul, Swastika Mukherjee and Indraneil Sengupta.
