Kolkata-born filmmaker Indira Dhar’s debut film Putul has been acquired by public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and it will soon be available to stream globally on Waves OTT, she said on Saturday.
The 2024 film will also be screened at this year’s International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
“Putul is acquired by Prasar Bharati under the ministry of Information and Broadcasting,” Dhar said.
Dhar also revealed that the film will be available to watch globally on Waves OTT. It will be screened at IFFI 2025 on the last day of the event.
Reflecting on the achievement, the filmmaker added, “This is a huge honour for me. The year started with the Oscars selection of the film. I think the cycle of Putul completes here. I am grateful to the entire team of Prasar Bharati and the Information Broadcasting ministry of India for giving this film what it deserves.”
Putul received its first big global break at the 77th Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film section in 2024. The movie, based on the daily hardships of street children and of societal double standards, received a standing ovation at the festival.
The film’s cast includes names like Tanusree Shankar, Mumtaz Sorcar, Sujan Mukherjee and Koneenica Banerjee. A single mother to a five-year-old, Indira holds Putul’s narrative close to her heart. The bond the lead characters share on screen is inspired by the director's own bond with her son.
In January, the movie appeared on the Academy Award’s list of 207 films competing for Best Picture among 323 eligible feature films. Seven Indian films made it to the category, and Putul stood out as the only Bengali film. Not only that, the song Iti Maa from the movie, composed by Sayan Ganguly and sung by Iman Chakraborty was selected for the Best Original Song Category.
Putul did not make it to the final nomination list, but for Indira, the Oscar recognition is a testament to her hard work and dedication. “It's a huge honour for any debutant, and that too, for a homegrown Bengali film produced, written, and directed by me," she said in a previous interview with The Telegraph Online.
In September, Dhar’s second feature film Echoes of Valour had a closed-door screening at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival months after its Cannes debut in May.
Headlined by Divya Dutta and Neeraj Kabi, Echoes of Valour had its first look unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival’s India Pavilion by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
Inspired by the real-life experiences of Shukla Bandopadhyay, the mother of an Indian Army soldier, the film explores love, resilience and sacrifice through the lens of a military family.