Shanghai Surprise

John Woo’s poetically choreographed action sequences may not exactly be in keeping with Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s sensibility (his cinematic language is more in the lines of Wong Kar Wai’s brooding frames) but next month Chowdhury will sincerely hope that Woo relates to his film,Antaheen. After all,as the festival director of the 13th Shanghai International Festival Woo plays an important role in shaping Chowdhury’s reputation in the international market. “I am really excited about screening my film in the competitive section in the festival. I have great respect for Woo as a director and I have great interest in Hong Kong films per se,” says Chowdhury.

Chowdhury’s ode to urban relationships,Antaheen,has managed to garner laurels from all over. Not only was it recognized as the best film of the year by the National Awards committee,but it has also proved to be a favourite in the festival circuit. “I can only say that I’m humbled by all this recognition. I feel that people relate to the film because it talks about modern life and relationships with honesty and sensitivity,” says Chowdhury who will attend the film festival next month.

As a fan of Asian cinema,Chowdhury is looking forward to catching up on the best of Korean,Chinese,Japanese and Taiwanese films in the festival. “The best thing about such festivals is the fact that you get to discover a lot of new and unknown talents. I have always liked the work of Wong Kar Wai and Kim Ki Duk too. I hope I get to discover other filmmakers like them and learn from them too,” says Chowdhury.