Roy said her film seeks to amplify the stories mainstream cinema overlooks. “Despite having one of the largest film industries in the world by volume, we rarely tell stories of the marginalised—those excluded by class, caste, and gender. I want to change that,” she said
Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has joined Anuparna Roy’s debut feature Songs of Forgotten Trees as presenter, ahead of its world premiere at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. The film, the only Indian selection in the festival’s prestigious Horizons strand this year, will screen between August 27 and September 9.
Kashyap, known for championing unconventional cinema, said: “I have always believed in backing new talent, especially those who want to say something different and challenge the set norms by their ideas and beliefs.” He added that he and producer Ranjan Singh have long supported such voices, calling Roy “definitely one such voice.”
Songs of Forgotten Trees stars Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel and centres on Thooya, a migrant and aspiring actress who uses charm and survival instinct to navigate Mumbai’s complexities. When she sublets her sugar daddy’s plush apartment to Swetha, a corporate migrant from a different world, the two begin sharing more than just space.
Roy said her film seeks to amplify the stories mainstream cinema overlooks. “Despite having one of the largest film industries in the world by volume, we rarely tell stories of the marginalised—those excluded by class, caste, and gender. I want to change that,” she said.
The narrative draws deeply from Roy’s own experience and her search for a childhood friend forced into early marriage. “This film carries her memories,” she shared, adding that her goal is to speak of miseries she has “witnessed and lived through—not just as an Indian but as a global citizen.”
Kashyap’s support for Roy comes as his own feature Bandar (Monkey in a Cage), starring Bobby Deol and Sanya Malhotra, prepares for its world premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival.
Singh, co-founder of Flip Films, said Roy’s debut was sealed the moment he saw her short film Run to the River. “Her one-line pitch stayed with me for the longest time,” he recalled. “I’m confident her debut will resonate with audiences in India and globally.”
