Mumbai, (Asian independent) The film Matto Ki Saikil, featuring actor-filmmaker Prakash Jha and directed by M. Gani, is all set to have its world premiere at the 25th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, to be held from October 21 to October 30.
The film has been selected to be screened in the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ section of the festival.
“I extend my heartfelt thanks to the selection committee of the prestigious Busan International Film Festival and to Prakash Jha, who stood by me and believed in the story. I was fortunate that I had a wonderful team that made this film possible and I thank each member associated with the film. I am humbled that an original voice from a rural heartland India has been noticed at an International coveted platform, which will pave way for people who believe that cinema can be a medium to showcase the life of the downtrodden, and have the passion to tell meaningful stories,” said Gani.
“I have been associated with different forms including theatre and education, where my motto was to show a common man’s heartfelt experience of struggling, dreaming, and finding life in between. Cinema is the only medium where one can articulate what one has felt throughout life and I consider the medium very personal. Many anecdotes in the film have been my own experience in life as I come from the same world. I feel cinema has a universal language and the feelings that I tried to convey will reach people across the world,” he further added.
The story of the film revolves around a family’s struggle to buy a new bicycle and how their lives depend on it. The film also features Anita Choudhary and Aarohi Sharma among others.
Jha, who plays a pivotal role in the film said: “I was surprised when they approached me for playing Matto! It is a beautiful story, almost heartbreaking, but Matto is completely opposite to what I am in real life!”
The film is produced by debutant producer Sudhirbhai Mishra.
