Aparna Sen’s The Rapist has been doing the festival rounds since late last year. After winning the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival 2021, the Konkona Sen Sharma and Arjun Rampal-starrer is set to be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. For the filmmaker, it is rewarding to see that the drama is leaving a strong impact on the audience.

“My producers [Applause Entertainment and Quest Films] and I are delighted that our movie is being showcased as the closing film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. We are proud that the movie is being critically acclaimed at home and abroad,” she says.

The Rapist tells the story of Naina, a criminal psychology professor, who is sexually assaulted in a slum when she visits to help the daughter of a school custodian. After surviving the attack that leaves her colleague dead, the protagonist fights social prejudices and testifies against the rapist-murderer. Told through the lens of a couple who oppose the death penalty, Sen’s film poses powerful questions about gender, class, and institutional contradictions in India.

“It was showcased at the London Indian Film Festival, and I was presented with the Icon award for my contribution to cinema. Four screenings of The Rapist, the fourth by public demand, were held at the International Film Festival of Kerala earlier this year. This was followed by a screening to a packed theatre at the Kolkata International Film Festival,” beams Sen, glad that it is winning rave reviews all over. She adds, “The Rapist will be released in India after it has completed its festival rounds.”

Actor Pavail Gulati had recently jetted off to London (UK) for the world premiere of Dobaaraa at the London Indian Film Festival 2022. And even his social anxiety couldn’t hold him back from enjoying the experience.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s thriller premiered on the opening night, with Gulati joining actor Taapsee Pannu and Kashyap to represent the film at the prestigious fest. “The response to the film was really overwhelming. There were so many people! We weren’t really expecting to see people crying at the end of the movie... We went in for a moment to see what the audience was feeling, and it was so nice to experience it. That meant the world to me,” Gulati tells us.

Admitting that he did feel nervous about the experience, about going on an international platform and the exposure, the actor continues, “I have a little problem with social anxiety. So itne saare log dekh ke main nervous ho gaya tha... But it was still a nice experience, and stirred up so many emotions within me.”

The film will also open the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2022. The 34-year-old, who starred in Made In Heaven and Thappad (2020), feels that international exposure is undoubtedly “fantastic” for a project. “Every actor wants their film to do well and to be seen by a lot of people, so international exposure is an added thing. We felt really overwhelmed... The team from London Film Festival had planned a party. During that, there were so many people who came to congratulate me,” he concludes.

Anurag Kashyap’s upcoming thriller Dobaaraa premiered at the London Indian Film Festival 2022 on June 23. For actor Pavail Gulati, the joy was two-fold — it marks his first film to be invited to a festival. That the movie reunited him with Kashyap and his Thappad (2020) co-star Taapsee Pannu was another cause for celebration.

“It was the festival’s opening film. It made me ecstatic and nervous in equal parts. In the days leading up to it, I kept thinking what to wear, how to style my hair. Taapsee had to give me a lot of tips,” grins Gulati.

He admits that since their Thappad days, Pannu has been more than a co-star to him, a dear friend who is always willing to help. “We became friends on the third day of filming Thappad. The comfortable equation comes from a lot of arguments and fights. It is easy and fun working with her because I can be completely myself around her.”

With Kashyap’s movies, one can expect the unexpected. This time around, the director has explored the concept of time travel through the sci-fi thriller. Elated to reunite with the filmmaker after the television show, Yudh (2014), Gulati says, “That man is a different beast altogether. At heart, he is a child. He is the nicest man I have ever met. For me, he is a mentor who has guided me. Working with him is like a workshop. On set, he is the most chaotic man, and figures out what to do only when he reaches the set. All your preparation goes out the window. He will take a scene and make it something else altogether.”

Only hours away from the premiere of Dobaaraa, Taapsee Pannu admits she is a ball of nervousness. The sci-fi thriller, which marks her reunion with director Anurag Kashyap, will be screened at the London Indian Film Festival this evening. “I am looking forward to seeing the first reaction of the audience. It’s going to be quite nerve-racking because it’s the first time an open audience is watching the film. So, I am excited, and equally nervous too,” she grins, before quipping in her trademark humour, “But it’s London. That makes everything feel a little better.”

If her past associations with Kashyap are anything to go by, Pannu has little reason to worry. The two previously collaborated on the critically acclaimed Manmarziyaan (2018), following it up with Saand Ki Aankh (2019) that saw Kashyap serve as a producer. This time around, the duo have teamed up for a sci-fi offering that reportedly revolves around different time zones and time travel. Joining Pannu in the Ekta R Kapoor-backed project is her Thappad (2020) co-star Pavail Gulati.

Happy to reunite with them, Pannu says, “I have been so consistently in touch [with Anurag] since Manmarziyaan, and with Pavail, that it feels like a continuation of sorts. It didn’t feel like we were working after a break. I am looking forward to working more with them.”

The film is slated to release on August 19.