Konkona Sensharma's directorial debut, A Death in the Gunj, has been selected as the opening film for this year's Mumbai Film Festival, HuffPost India can now report.
After months of deliberation and shortlisting of titles, Sensharma's film was chosen as the film to open the 18th edition of the festival, popularly referred to as MAMI, this year. The festival is set to run from October 20 to October 27 with an opening ceremony that will be held at the revamped Royal Opera House in south Mumbai.
The film has already had its world premiere at the ongoing Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The dark drama features an ensemble cast that includes Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey, Vikrant Massey (Dil Dhadakne Do), Gulshan Devaiah, Tilotama Shome along with senior actors Om Puri and Tanuja. It has been co-produced by Udta Punjab helmer Abhishek Chaubey and veteran casting director Honey Trehan.
Moody and atmospheric, A Death In The Gunj is set on an intriguing premise — a family vacation that quickly turns sinister as an unexpected death threatens to dismantle their interpersonal relationships.
Confirming the news, festival director Anupama Chopra, who was in Toronto told HuffPost India, "The aim with MAMI is always to be the gateway to good Indian cinema. We all saw A Death in the Gunj and were blown away by it. It also happens to tick off many boxes — it's an Indian story, it's a first-time director, and more interestingly, it's a woman director. We couldn't have hoped for a better film to open the festival."
Sensharma, who was busy with the film's TIFF premiere, wrote in an email: "I'm truly excited and honored that ADITG will be the opening film at MAMI. It is the city of my work and where the film was conceived and prepped and I'm really looking forward to the people of my city watching it."
You can watch the film's trailer here.
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