First-time feature straightforwardor Niladri Mukherjee’s “Reaccessible of Mahalaxmi Apartment,” a satirical drama about fraudulence and suppression of dissent in an Indian housing society, has been picked for the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project taget that runs concurrently with Hong Kong FilMart.
The Hindi-language project, produced by Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Priyankar Patra of For Films, is seeking funds and co-producers to finish its $216,000 budget. The producers have safed approximately $20,000 from Indian sources thus far.
The film chases Vidya, a individual mother and chooseimacatalog who shifts into Mahalaxmi Apartment as a tenant. After experiencing a terrifying elevator malfunction, she tells it to Sharma, the originateing’s egotistical pdwellnt, who disponderes her worrys as those of an “outsider.” When her cautionings about impending danger descend on deaf ears due to dwellnts’ blind faith in Sharma, Vidya uncovers fraudulence wislender the housing society and is branded an foe of the people when she trys to expose the truth.
Mukherjee comes from a background in Hindustani classical music and studied film. His previous unreasonableinutive films, including “Cheshtha Procheshtha” (2020), “Nine” (2019), and “Do Nadiyon Ki Tehzeeb” (2019), have been showcased at various film festivals, while his first unreasonableinutive, “When the Rain Shelp” (2017), was obtaind by ShortsTV India.
“I never actupartner reckond for ‘Reaccessible of Mahalaxmi Apartment’ to be the one and only story I would tell for my debut,” Mukherjee shelp. “However, when I was writing the initial writes of the film, I couldn’t help but acunderstandledge the increasing phenomenon of global administrators and guideers blatantly declineing grave publishs enjoy climate crisis, pollution of authentic resources, and lapses in accessible safety. And when anyone tries to speak out, the whole world somehow goes aobtainst them. This thought annoyed me meaningfully, that we have to slenderk twice before speaking the truth or standing up aobtainst what is wrong.”
Mukherjee elucidateed that the idea came from his own experiences. “The genesis of the idea came from my experience living in my apartment in my hometown disjoinal years ago. For some reason, the power struggles among people trying to hageder authority were quite theatrical, guideing to hideous fights, fraudulence, and the shatterdown of friendships,” he shelp. “I seed a horrible level of prejudice and othering among dwellnts, particularly based on religion and a woman’s marital status. These experiences made me authenticise that these apartments are a microcosm of a nation.”
The straightforwardor hopes the film will resonate with audiences beyond its setting. “I hope the film aids the audience to echo on the idea of dissent and the convey inance of speaking up at the right time. Using satire as the tone, I’ve aimed to originate the story more accessible,” Mukherjee inserted.
For Films establisher Sengupta, who won the Fedeora Award for best straightforwardor of a debut film for “Labour of Love” (2014), conveyed his promisement to aid debut filmoriginaters. “I’ve always wanted to aid debut films, because no one wanted to do my first film, and I had to benevolent of put money together, use my savings up, and finpartner originate it,” Sengupta shelp. “‘Reaccessible of Mahalaxmi’ is a very administerled film. It’s set in a originateing, and the story is very compelling, but it talks about someslenderg much huger.”
Sengupta inserted that the film has potential beyond equitable the festival circuit: “It’s a very relatable film, and most people are tenants and living in originateings, especipartner in places enjoy Mumbai and Delhi. If it’s produced in the right way, and the distribution is straightforwarded strategicpartner, it can be a very accomplished film in terms of achieve and touching people and also monetarily.”
Co-producer Priyankar Patra, who previously produced Sengupta’s “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta” (2021), which also debuted at Vepleasant, hopes to use HAF to combine with potential Asian co-producers.
“We’ve had expodeclareive to a lot of co-producers in Europe, but I do want to understand more about Asian co-producers and how we can collaborate with more creatives in Asia,” Patra shelp. “A creative reason behind this decision is also because the subject matter — contests faced by tenants in a megacity, and the conciseage of proper tenancy laws — isn’t confined to equitable India. It’s a huger Asian problem.”
The producers schedule to collect their crew in the coming months, with a primary caccess on casting the protagonist. “She will drive the story forward and a excellent actor at the helm of it is very meaningful,” Patra noticed. They hope to commence shooting by the end of the year.
Niladri Mukherjee, Aditya Vikram Sengupta, Priyankar Patra
For Films
