DAY 3 at IFFB: ‘Follower’ and ‘It’s all in your Head’ screened

Bhubaneswar: The third day at Indian Film Festival Bhubaneswar 2024 began with “Dhuin”, a Maithili language film by Achal Mishra. A small town theatre actor, Pankaj, wants to pursue a career in Mumbai, but struggles with obligations of family, financial constraints and is forced to weigh his dreams and make a choice. The movie journals his struggles as he juggles between his dreams and reality.

The festival continued with the Mani Kaul Restrospective by screening of two of his works “Duvida” and “Mati Manas”. “Duvida” is set on two planes: inside-outside, dark-light, arising from the existing structures in the folk tales and myths.

The movie speaks on the story of a young lady, newly married to a merchant’s son and left on her own when her husband goes away on business.

In a turn of events, she falls in love with a ghost and becomes pregnant, but falls in a dilemma on return of her husband. “Mati Manas” examines the art of Indian pottery, documenting the craft tradition of rural Indian potters, a documentary by Mani Kaul made in the year 1985.

The day proceeded with the screening of “It’s all in your Head” by Dhruv Solanki and “Follower” by Harshad Nalawade. Both the directors were present to interact with the audience.

The Marathi film “Follower” is set in a small town riddled with territorial dispute, where a radicalized journalist believes in exposing the atrocities committed against his community. The film was followed by a post screening conversation with Harshad moderated by film critic Aditya Krishnan.

“It’s all in your Head” focuses on one day in the life of six siblings, rural but Americanised, living in Vadodara. It is an attempt to take an honest look at the inner working of the mind and lives of the Indian Middle-class youth in the internet age.