A scene of And Once Again being shot in a monastery in South Sikkim. A Telegraph picture

Gangtok, Aug. 18: Yuden Zongtenpa has chosen exams over the premier of And Once Again.

The Amol Palekar movie, which has generated a buzz over the role of Antara Mali as a Buddhist monk with a shaven head, will premiere at Pune tomorrow when seven-year-old Yuden who had an important role in the film writes her English paper for the second term examinations at Tashi Namgyal Academy.

“We had been invited to attend the premier at Pune tomorrow but we cannot make it as the Yuden’s second term starts tomorrow,” said mother Rebina Rai.

The student of Class III had already walked the red carpet of adulation and applause for her performance in the 94-minute film when it was screened on November 29 at the 40th International Film Festival in Goa.

Asked how she feels about the movie now set to hit the silver screen, pat came Yuden’s reply: “Proud”. “I liked my character a lot when I saw the film at Goa and right now, I am preparing for the exams which starts from tomorrow,” she said. Yuden plays the role of an orphan in the film.

“That she has actually acted in a movie has not sunk in yet though Yuden liked what she saw during the screening in Goa. Right now, she is pretty engrossed in her school activities,” said Rebina. She said the acting skills of her daughter were much appreciated by those who attended the Goa screening.

In the movie, Antara Mali comes across Yuden, an orphan, develops an attachment for her and brings her up.

Asked about her favourite scenes, Yuden talks about the ‘kite scene’ and ‘a wheel barrow scene’ shot in West Sikkim. Palekar was glad to have Yuden in the film and the whole team was amazed with her acting skills, recalled Rebina. “A little bit of everything — the Sikkimese culture, orchids, monasteries and the locales were portrayed in the film,” she said.