Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 30, 2018)

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is no stranger to France — after all, many of his films have done the rounds of the annual Cannes Film Festival at the French Riviera. In the latest development, the actor’s 2016 offering, Raman Raghav 2.0, has got a new lease of life — the Anurag Kashyap-directed thriller released in France last week. Titled The Mumbai Murders, the movie has been dubbed in French by local artistes and is reportedly enjoying a run across 2,700 screens there.

The actor is elated that the noir thriller — which was widely applauded at the Cannes Film Festival2016  — will now reach the audience at large. “When the film was screened in Cannes, it had opened to rave reviews. What’s gratifying for me, as an actor, is that the film is garnering love and accolades even after two years of its original release,” says Siddiqui.

The actor adds that he is keen to gauge the foreign audience’s reaction to the moody thriller, based on the serial killer by the same name. “I think noir cinema suits the French palate. [More importantly], French films have a special place in my heart because the real awakening in terms of cinema happened there.” The film was apparently chosen from several Indian entries by Film France, the national film commission after a viewing last month.”

Kashyap, on his part, is thrilled that unlike the 127-minute-long version aired in India, the director’s cut is being screened in France. “The original cut is the shorter and non-linear version. The film has enjoyed a strong first week with great reviews and footfalls.”