Anjan Dutt’s Chalchitra Ekhon, a tribute to auteur Mrinal Sen on his birth centenary, will be screened at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) 2023, set to commence on December 5.
The film traces Dutt’s journey with the master filmmaker which began with the film Chalchitra (The Kaleidoscope) in 1981, marking the beginning of a mentor-protégé relationship that would endure over the years.
Chalchitra Ekhon narrates the captivating journey of Dutt’s character as he gradually discovers the essence of Kolkata through a series of funny and emotional sequences. The film explores how a filmmaker can shape the understanding of life for his protagonist-protégé, alter his perception of the city and help an actor find his roots.
"Am very proud and honoured to have the world premiere of my film on Mrinal Sen in KIFF this December in the international competition section. I always wanted to premiere it in Kolkata since it's here where I first bonded with Mrinal Sen. I was 26, he was 57 and there was the crazy, chaotic city that we both loved,” Dutt recently wrote in a post on social media following the selection of Chalchitra Ekhon for KIFF 2023.
“Am immensely grateful to all those who made it possible for Neel and myself to produce our first feature film.That's the only way I could tell my very personal story. Thank you,” he concluded the note.
Chalchitra Ekhon is the only Indian film that is part of the International Competition:Innovation in Moving Images section at KIFF 2023, competing against a stellar lineup of 12 international films like Veit Helmer's Gondola (Germany), Asa Helga Hjorleifsdottir's A Letter from Helga (Iceland) and Filip (Poland) by Michal Kwiecinski.
Other films in the international competition section are Alisa Kovalenko's We Will Not Fade Away (Ukraine) and One Way (Venezuela) by Carlos Daniel Malave, Erez Tadmor's Children of Nobody (Israel), 60 Days (Turkey) by Ismail Doruk, Spanish film Land of our Mothers by Liz Lobato, Romanian director Sabin Dorohoi's Clara, The Four Seasons (Russia) by Maxim Shabalin, Aurelia Mengin's Scarlet Blue (France) and Broken Borders (Chile) by Rodrigo Alvarez Flores.
