History was made at the 82nd Venice Film Festival when debutant filmmaker Anupurna Roy became the first Indian director to win the Best Director Award in the Orizzonti section. Her film Songs of Forgotten Trees, starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, was the only Indian selection in the Orizzonti Competition this year. The film, starring Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel, tells the story of two women in Mumbai whose struggles and lives intertwine in unexpected ways.
Visibly moved on stage, Anuparna dedicated her win to women across the world before ending her acceptance speech with a striking political statement on Palestine. But before that moment of triumph came months of struggle, doubt, and an unexpected mentor who reminded her of the responsibility that comes with recognition - filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.
Speaking to NDTV after her win, Anuparna recalled what Kashyap told her soon after the award was announced. "Anurag sir told me, this is not just recognition, it is also bringing a lot of responsibility to make films, even when you are uncomfortable about it. So I guess the win is heavier on my shoulders," she said.
Getting Anurag Kashyap On Board
But getting Kashyap on board was no easy feat. Anuparna candidly described how she chased the filmmaker to ensure he at least watched her film. "I wanted him to at least see the film. That is what was on my mind. I knew Ranjan sir and Anurag sir have been working together for so long. So I requested Ranjan sir, please, if you can show the film to him. At first, he laughed and said my demand was increasing a bit too much and told me to relax. But I kept insisting, please, sir, please, if you can just showcase it to him. Finally, he did, and Anurag sir watched the film. He said yes, and we were fortunate enough to get him on board. For me, it was one more dream-come-true moment."
That validation gave her courage, though she insists she did not expect to actually win the award. "To be very honest, I didn't expect any award. For me, getting selected at Venice was more than sufficient. But once people started praising the film, we started hoping. I didn't even watch other films at the festival because I was too nervous about the result," she admitted.
Speaking about Palestine at Venice
“It was already there in my mind,” Roy said. “Even at my very first international screening in Russia, I had spoken about Palestine. So, the decision was made long back — if I have a mic with me, I will talk about the miseries around us rather than something happy or sugar coated. That was always the plan.”
She added that her choice has been met with criticism, but she refuses to back down. “The discussion right now is literally making me angry because it is about my choices. People are saying I ignored India's situations. But as a global citizen, I felt like I should talk. My speech cannot change political realities, but it can show solidarity. It was the simplest thing I said — that we need to stand beside justice.”
Her political conviction was also visible in what she wore.
The Sari That Carried A Statement
Roy appeared on stage in a sari that blended her cultural roots with her political statement. Designed by Muskan Mittal from Assam, it carried motifs of Purulia's traditional wall paintings alongside the Palestinian flag.
“I was about to wear this sari for the premiere,” she admitted with a laugh, “but I got scared. I am a very tomboyish kind of person, so wearing a sari was a big decision for me. But I love saris. I told Muskan that I don't want anything expensive, I want something simple, light, and comfortable — and she gave me exactly that.”
The sari was also deeply personal. “These were the wall paintings my maternal grandmother used to do. I wanted to tell the world that Purulia is not just about people, but about their culture, their coexistence, and their art. That's why I carried Purulia with me, along with Palestine.”
The Film And Its Roots
While her speech made headlines, Songs of Forgotten Trees itself is a deeply personal story. Roy revealed that the concept emerged from memories of her grandmother and stepdaughter running the household together after her grandfather's death.
“They had a platonic but deeply supportive relationship. One worked as a nurse, the other managed the house and children. I started to imagine them as a couple, running the family together. It wasn't that in reality, but that idea fascinated me — two women inside the same house, sharing life, memories, and chores. That's what became the film.”
The film also carries echoes of a painful childhood memory — the loss of her friend Jhuma to caste prejudice and early marriage.
“I met Jhuma in class five. She was my first friend. But my father told me to abandon the friendship because she was Dalit. I was too young to understand what casteism meant. Later she was married off in class eight because the government gave financial aid for Dalit girls' marriages. I always saw a similarity between my father and the government — both controlled her fate. That pain stayed with me. A line my father said, about roses being the worst flowers because gods don't accept them, even found its way into the film. These things shaped me.”
Parents, Secrecy And Responsibility
Interestingly, Roy has never shown Songs of Forgotten Trees to her parents. “No, no, no,” she laughed. “They thought the film was about trees and the environment. I told them it was an adult film. They only imagine it as a story about women's friendship — they cannot imagine two women kissing.”
But winning at Venice, she admits, comes with pressure. “I didn't even have time to explain it to my parents. Anurag Sir (Kashyap) told me, ‘This is not just recognition, it brings responsibility. You must keep making films even when you are uncomfortable.' This win feels heavy on my shoulders.”
Dreams for the Future
Roy is already thinking about what comes next. “There is definitely a sequel happening. Not immediately, but yes — both a sequel and a prequel are in my mind,” she said.
She also has a list of Indian actors she dreams of working with: “Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte, Konkona Sen Sharma, Adil Hussain, Sayani Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Anurag Kashyap as an actor. And I am a big fan of Kareena Kapoor — she is brilliant.”
At Venice, she also had the chance to meet and interact with some of her cinematic idols. “I met Julia Ducournau, Julia Roberts, and Jim Jarmusch. They appreciated our film. That was awesome.”
For Anuparna Roy, the Venice win is just the beginning. If Songs of Forgotten Trees gave her a global platform, she showed the world that the stage has a bigger purpose. That is to tell the truth.
