Veteran filmmaker-actress Aparna Sen is set to turn presenter with director Ranjan Ghosh’s upcoming Bengali feature Adamya, set for release soon, the makers have said in a statement.

Written and directed by Ghosh, Adamya stars Aryuun Ghosh in the lead, with Senjuti Mukherjee appearing as a guest actor.

The cast also includes Sourya Madrajee, Arjo Giri, Shubham Dutta, Relish Khan, Samrat Bose, and Debasish Giri.

Set in the Sundarbans, Adamya follows the story of 23-year-old Palash (Aryunn) after a political assassination attempt fails. As he becomes a fugitive, the film interrogates the shifting meaning of ideology and resistance in a region shaped by “long-standing conflicts between humans, nature, and the state”.

Ghosh said he considers it “a matter of pride” that Aparna Sen is presenting the film, something she has never done before. “The theme of the film has apparently resonated with her. And why not?” he added.

Explaining the film’s political concerns, he said, “When our political class fails us, when our beautiful democracies are manipulated into electoral autocracies, when the poor get poorer and the rich get richer… there rises a group of youth that seeks freedom from poverty, casteism, communalism, corruption, bigotry, and exploitation.”

He said the system “has a ready label for them – extremists”, but argued that “it is for us, the people, to decide if they are extremists or revolutionaries, anti-nationals or patriots.”

“I have absolutely no words to describe my feelings about Adamya. Because no word can express the emotions and love I feel for this film,” lead actor Aryuun Ghosh said in a statement.

“My sweat, injuries, pain, and blood have fused into it. I have been a part of this film right from its inception,” he added.

Calling the role an uncommon break for a newcomer, he said, “Not everyone gets the fortune of debuting in such a central role. I consider myself fortunate to have bagged it.”

Arkaprabha Das serves as cinematographer of Adamya with Kaushik Ray as editor and colourist. Adeep Singh Manki handles sound design with Anindit Roy overseeing sound mixing. Avijit Kundu has composed the music for the film.