A Lullaby for Yellow Roses, a short film by Kolkata-based Bengali director Rahul Roye, has won the Best Social Justice Film award at the 19th Tasveer Film Festival and Market — the only Oscar-qualifying South Asian film festival. The 18-minute film — produced by Abdullah Al Kandari, Abid Aziz Merchant and Tushar Tyagi — features Trimala Adhikari and Somnath Mandal in lead roles.
Set in Kolkata, A Lullaby for Yellow Roses follows an estranged migrant couple who, after losing their daughter to societal pressures, find solace and companionship in each other. By sensitively exploring female foeticide, the film has resonated deeply with audiences and earned widespread praise.
Since its debut, A Lullaby for Yellow Roses has been screened at over 87 festivals worldwide, including Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying events such as Flickerfest International Short Film Festival in Australia, the Brussels Short Film Festival, and the London Short Film Festival.
Calling it “overwhelming in the most wonderful way,” Roye spoke to The Telegraph Online about the win. “It’s a recognition beyond words, and we’re incredibly grateful to Tasveer’s programming team for seeing the heart in our work, as well as to the amazing Tasveer audience, who embraced it so warmly. This award belongs to each and every one who poured their talent, time, and love into bringing this short to life,” the filmmaker said.
Elaborating on the concept that “grief, in its raw and shared vulnerability, could act as a bridge between two fractured souls,” Roye shared that Abdullah Al Kandari, the producer of the film, came up with the idea. “In A Lullaby for Yellow Roses, an estranged couple confronts absolute anguish as they lose their unborn daughter to an ill-fated custom. Dealing with the same sadness separately in isolation, they find an unexpected kinship in a shared space of mutual vulnerability — a space that transcends desolation,” Roye added.
“What disturbs me is how even grief is gendered, carved by rigid social templates dictating how each gender should carry and express their sorrow. Patriarchy assigns boundaries to these deeply personal experiences, policing how one should mourn, or even how much. ‘A Lullaby for Yellow Roses’ condemns gender hierarchy and the societal frameworks that confine the natural, human experience of loss,” the young filmmaker explained.
Previously, Roye also received acclaim for Man & Wife, a film about a nonbinary individual coming out to their betrothed before their arranged marriage. However, despite the critical acclaim, Roye admits that while “being an independent filmmaker is challenging, being a South Asian, queer filmmaker adds ten-fold layers of complexities” to the process. “There’s a stark scarcity of funding, resources, and platforms — especially for those of us telling gender-focused or queer narratives. South Asian queer stories are chronically under-supported, with fewer grants or labs keen to nurturing these voices,” Roye revealed.
Currently working on his next directorial, Roye said their films “don’t just aim to depict marginalised lives; they seek to honour their depth and complexity”. “As a queer feminist, my art is a space where I confront, challenge, and reimagine the narratives society imposes on us, particularly around gender and identity,” they added.
