Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy is returning to the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons competition with her second feature, “Lovers in the Blue Night.” The project marks Roy’s return to the prestigious section just a year after her debut film “Songs of Forgotten Trees” earned her the distinction of being the first Indian director to win the Horizons best director award.
Roy drew inspiration for the new film from a childhood memory of Ameena, a bonded laborer in her hometown, and a comment about marriage that stayed with her into adulthood. The resulting story follows four migrants navigating life in Mumbai, exploring themes of displacement, desire and belonging. Unlike her debut, which focused on two women confined to a single space, this production represents a broader scope and more developed filmmaking approach with professional production standards.
The narrative centers on Karim, a closeted gay man married to Ameena, and his lover Sukka, who is attempting to escape caste constraints. Roy emphasizes treating her characters with empathetic nuance rather than reducing them to their circumstances. She frames intimate gestures as acts of resistance, particularly through a striking image of Karim—a rat poison manufacturer in wealthy Mumbai neighborhoods—returning home to kiss another man. Roy describes this juxtaposition as “revolutionary” and deeply political.
International sales for the film are being handled by Parallax. Roy’s upcoming projects include a romantic feature about a troubled marriage and an untitled work exploring a woman’s sexual journey.
Originally reported by Variety →
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