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Attam has taken the Malayalam film industry to new heights with its win at the 70th National Film Awards! Directed by Anand Ekarshi, this bold film dives deep into complex themes, addressing social issues head-on and leaving audiences with lots to think about. At the heart of Attam is a gripping story centered around a female theater member who accuses a prominent male actor of sexual harassment.

The initial support from her male colleagues soon becomes shaky, revealing their hidden agendas and loyalty sways. As the layers of this drama unfold, viewers get a front-row seat to the unraveling biases, betrayals, and moral dilemmas within the group. It’s a tale that resonates because it’s brutally honest about how people often bend their principles when personal gains are involved.

Table of Contents Summary of Aattam (No Spoilers Here!) Why Watch Aattam? Why Watch Aattam? Summary of Aattam (No Spoilers Here!

Attam has taken the Malayalam film industry to new heights with its win at the 70th National Film Awards! Directed by Anand Ekarshi, this bold film dives deep into complex themes, addressing social issues head-on and leaving audiences with lots to think about. At the heart of Attam is a gripping story centered around a female theater member who accuses a prominent male actor of sexual harassment.

The initial support from her male colleagues soon becomes shaky, revealing their hidden agendas and loyalty sways. As the layers of this drama unfold, viewers get a front-row seat to the unraveling biases, betrayals, and moral dilemmas within the group. It’s a tale that resonates because it’s brutally honest about how people often bend their principles when personal gains are involved.

Summary of Aattam (No Spoilers Here!)

Aattam is set in the vibrant, yet male-dominated, world of a theatre troupe. The story kicks off when Anjali,...

Each year, as fall approaches, India’s famously unpredictable Oscar committee takes center stage to pick their candidate in a process as dramatic as any Bollywood blockbuster.

As always, the influential body behind the committee, the Film Federation of India (Ffi), brought together a special jury of industry veterans to sift through the year’s cinematic offerings to choose the one film that will represent India. But while the country boasts the world’s most prolific film industry, its track record in the international feature film race has fallen short with many missed opportunities. The most notorious example is Ritesh Batra’s “The Lunchbox” which was not selected in 2013 despite having earned widespread critical laurels.

Some eyebrows were also raised when global hit “Rrr” wasn’t picked as India’s Oscar candidate in 2022. The Ffi saved face, nevertheless, after its official submission, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” made the international features shortlist.

Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix winner “All We Imagine as Light” could find itself being in the enviable position of being the entry of choice at the Oscars’ international feature category from not one but two countries – France and India.

Earlier this week, “All We Imagine as Light” sparked a surprise as it turned up in the roster of four movies shortlisted by France’s Oscar committee; alongside Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” an epic adventure film adapted from Alexandre Dumas’ classic, as well as Alain Guiraudie’s “Misericordia.”

Mainly produced by Thomas Hakim and Julian Graff through their France-based company Petit Chaos, the film secured distribution deals in most major territories months ago, including in the U.S. (where Janus Films and Sideshow will release it in the fall) and France (Condor Distribution), and is on track to become one of the most...

As India’s film industry grapples with ongoing discussions about sexual harassment, the National Award-winning Malayalam-language film “Aattam,” a potential Oscar submission from the country, has gained renewed attention for its prescient exploration of the topic.

Director Anand Ekarshi and star Zarin Shihab spoke to Variety about the film’s impact, its chances on the international stage, and its relevance to current industry concerns.

“Aattam” follows the aftermath of an alleged sexual assault within a theater group. After a post-performance party, Anjali (Shihab), the troupe’s sole actress, becomes the victim of a crime committed by one of her male colleagues. As the group convenes to address the incident, long-buried tensions surface, suspicions arise, and the ensuing clamor threatens to tear the ensemble apart. The ensemble cast also includes Vinay Forrt (Rotterdam title “Family”) and Kalabhavan Shajohn (“Lucifer”).

The film’s themes have become even more relevant in light of...

Anand Ekarshi’s Malayalam-language “Aattam” (“The Play”) was named best film on Friday at India’s National Film Awards. The film also won editing for Mahesh Bhuvanend and original screenplay for Ekarshi.

Sooraj R. Barjatya won best director for Bollywood film “Uunchai,” starring Amitabh Bachchan. Neena Gupta won supporting actress for the film.

Rishabh Shetty’s Kannada-language “Kantara” won the award for ‘best film providing wholesome entertainment,’ while Shetty also won best actor.

The best actress award was shared by Nithya Menen for Tamil-language “Thiruchitrambalam” and Manasi Parekh for Gujarati-language “Kutch Express.” “Thiruchitrambalam” also won the choreography award for Jani Master and Sathish Krishnan, while Niki Joshi won the costume designer award for “Kutch Express.”

Pawan Malhotra won supporting actor for Haryanvi film “Fouja,” which also won best debut director for Pramod Kumar and lyrics for Naushad Sadar Khan. Sreepath won the child actor award for Malayalam-language film “Malikappuram.”

Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V.

After participating at various film festivals, Anand Ekarshi’s debut feature film, Aattam, is now available for streaming on Prime Video. It centers on a critical moment in the lives of 12 artists who have dedicated a significant portion of their careers to performing plays for a theatre troupe purely out of passion. Their harmonious camaraderie and existential pursuits face an unprecedented challenge when the sole female member of the team becomes a victim of sexual assault. As the plot unfolds, it delicately peels away the layers of each character, unveiling complexity imbued with both self-interest and compulsion. The characters’ actions and their decisions give rise to twists and turns in the tale, erupting from their insecurities and primal quest for survival. The chamber drama is tautly constructed, delving deep into the social, moral, and personal dimensions that define contemporary Indian society. The filmmaker throws us into a labyrinth of conflicting...

Stuart Gatt’s “Catching Dust,” which premiered at Tribeca earlier this year, will open the 54th International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa.

Robert Kolodny’s “The Featherweight,” which bowed at Venice, will close the festival. Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses,” for which Merve Dizdar won best actress at Cannes, will be the mid-festival gala.

The fiction feature strand of the Indian panorama showcase will open with Anand Ekarshi’s “Aattam” and the documentary strand with Longjam Meena’s “Andro Dream.” The panorama will screen 25 fiction features, including five mainstream films, plus 20 documentaries.

Michael Douglas will deliver the key festival masterclass. The international competition jury will be led by eminent filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (“Elizabeth”) and also includes producers Catherine Dussart (“Silence in the Dust”) and Helen Leake (“Carnifex”), former Cannes market chief Jerome Paillard and Pedro Almodovar’s long-standing cinematographer José Luis Alcaine, P.K. Atre’s “Shyamchi Aai...

New Delhi, Nov 2 (Ians) It cannot get better for debutant filmmaker Anand Ekarshi. Even as his film ‘Aattam’ (‘The Play’) will have its Asia premiere at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival after receiving the top honour at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and is all set to open the Indian Panorama segment of International Film Festival of India in Goa this month, he is glad the audiences and critics are appreciating the exploration of the human psyche.

“I just did not want the film to be preachy. It is paramount that art precipitates a dialogue and does not give ‘answers’. It was important for me to take a very subtle route, a very human approach,” he tells Ians.

‘Aattam’ revolves around a theatre group with a lone woman member who faces sexual abuse and how the group reacts and the changes in the reaction as the movie progresses.

New Delhi, Nov 2 (Ians) It cannot get better for debutant filmmaker Anand Ekarshi. Even as his film ‘Aattam’ (‘The Play’) will have its Asia premiere at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival after receiving the top honour at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and is all set to open the Indian Panorama segment of International Film Festival of India in Goa this month, he is glad the audiences and critics are appreciating the exploration of the human psyche.

“I just did not want the film to be preachy. It is paramount that art precipitates a dialogue and does not give ‘answers’. It was important for me to take a very subtle route, a very human approach,” he tells Ians.

‘Aattam’ revolves around a theatre group with a lone woman member who faces sexual abuse and how the group reacts and the changes in the reaction as the movie progresses.

Tiger Leaping To Holiday Frame

India’s Yash Raj Films has set a mid-November release date ahead of the Diwali holidays for “Tiger 3,” its anticipated spy-action film starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. Holiday complexities have caused the company to devise what it called a “strategic and unique release plan.”

Having previously only released teaser footage, Yrf has now also unveiled a full trailer.

Unusually, the film will open in Indian and international theaters on a Sunday – Nov. 12.

“2023 is the year of ‘Adhik Maas’ which has led to complications regarding festival dates. This year, Monday, Nov. 13 is New Moon/Amavasya and the Govardhan Pooja/Gujarati New Year falls on Nov. 14. Bhai Dooj is on November 15, giving the film an extended run in this crucial holiday period which will aid in collections through the week,” said Yrf.

Directed by Maneesh Sharma (“Band Baaja Baaraat”), the film is the...

After a three-year hiatus, the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival is returning with a larger lineup and an expanded focus on South Asian cinema.

The festival will feature 250 films including 40 world premieres, 45 Asia premieres and 70 South Asia Premieres. The opening and closing films have not been finalized yet.

The festival’s new vision is to become a hub for South Asian and South Asian diaspora cinema and talent and, in keeping with this, the main competition is for 14 films from the region. These include the world premieres of Leesa Gazi’s “A House Named Shahana” (Bangladesh-u.K.), Dibakar Das Roy’s “Dilli Dark” (India), Sumanth Bhat’s “Mithya” (India) and Fazil Razak’s “The Sentence” (India). The new focus will also include 46 non-competition films from South Asia.

The Icons South Asia strand features Anand Patwardhan’s Toronto title “The World is Family”; “Indi(r)a’s Emergency” by Vikramaditya Motwane...

Iffla Will Open With Khufiya Directed By Vishal Bhardwaj And Close With All India Rank By Varun Grover

US Premieres of Documentaries The World is Family by Legendary Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, and The Golden Thread by Nishtha Jain

Exclusive Masterclass with World Renowned Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj

Today the 2023 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) announced the lineup of official selections for the 21st annual edition of the internationally acclaimed film festival. Iffla will showcase 24 films from 13 countries and in 14 languages, including the world theatrical premiere of Vishal Bhardwaj's Khufiya, the world premiere of Atul Sabharwal's Berlin, and the North American premieres of Varun Grover's dramedy All Indian Rank, Dominic Sangma's Garo language film Rapture,and the Malayalam film Aattam (The Play) by Anand Ekarshi. Plus, the LA premiere of Joram by Devashish Makhija.

Passes and Gala tickets are now available at www.indianfilmfestival.org. Tickets to...

Los Angeles, Sep 15 (Ians) The Tabu-starrer action-spy-thriller film ‘Khufiya’ is all set to have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla).

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, ‘Khufiya’ is based on the novel ‘Escape to Nowhere’, written by the former R&aw (Research and Analysis Wing) chief of counter espionage, Amar Bhushan, seeing the ‘Andhadhun’ actress as a covert operative, embarking on a secret and dangerous mission that requires her to juggle roles as a spy and a lover.

Vishal, known best for his dramatic film adaptations of Shakespeare’s works with films such as ‘Maqbool’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Haider’ and more lately, with his Agatha Christie retread, in ‘Charlie Chopra’, will also give a full masterclass on his filmmaking journey and multi-faceted creative process across screenwriting, directing and music, as was reported by Variety.

The festival’s other feature selections include: the world premiere of Atul Sabharwal’s...

The Tabu-starrer action-spy-thriller film ‘Khufiya’ is all set to have its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla). Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, ‘Khufiya’ is based on the novel ‘Escape to Nowhere’, written by the former R&aw (Research and Analysis Wing) chief of counter espionage, Amar Bhushan, seeing the ‘Andhadhun’ actress as a covert operative, embarking on a secret and dangerous mission that requires her to juggle roles as a spy and a lover.

Vishal, known best for his dramatic film adaptations of Shakespeare’s works with films such as ‘Maqbool’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Haider’ and more lately, with his Agatha Christie retread, in ‘Charlie Chopra’, will also give a full masterclass on his filmmaking journey and multi-faceted creative process across screenwriting, directing and music, as was reported by Variety.

The festival’s other feature selections include: the world premiere of Atul Sabharwal’s ‘Berlin’, Dominic Sangma’s...

Tabu-starring spy thriller, “Khufiya” has been set as the opening title of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Oct. 11-15). A Netflix-backed production, the Iffla presentation will represent the film’s theatrical world premiere.

The festival will wrap with the North American premiere of dramedy “All India Rank,” by Varun Grover. The film had its premiere at the Rotterdam festival in January.

Between the two, the festival will play four additional narrative features, two documentary features and 16 shorts, hailing from 13 countries.

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, “Khufiya” is based on the novel “Escape to Nowhere,” written by a former chief of counter espionage, Amar Bhushan and sees top actor Tabu as an operative on a mission that requires her to juggle roles as a spy and a lover. It also stars Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Azmeri Haque Badhon (“Rehana”).

Indian director, screenwriter and musician Vishal Bhardwaj.

Bhardwaj,...

“Agra” by Kanu Behl, “Joram” by Devashish Makhija and “Sultana’s Dream” by Isabel Herguera (San Sebastian selection “Kalebegiak”) are among the selections at India’s Film Bazaar Recommends (Fbr) strand.

The strand is a part of Film Bazaar, the South Asia film project market operated by India’s National Film Development Corporation. The Fbr selections, comprising 20 features, two mid-length films and eight shorts are chosen from 247 films in the market’s Viewing Room that presents films from India and South Asia, which are recently completed or still in post-production. The films are available for film festival selection, world sales, distribution partners or finishing funds. All the selections are awaiting their world premieres.

The 30 selected films will have the opportunity to pitch to Bazaar delegates during the market.

The Bazaar has also chosen five projects for its Work-In-Progress Lab, which provides the selected filmmakers an opportunity to screen the rough...