Aparna Sen’s ‘Her Indian Summer’ in Development as Indo-U.K. Co-Production (EXCLUSIVE)

As a movie critic with a deep appreciation for Indian cinema and a particular fondness for the work of veteran actor-director Aparna Sen, I am absolutely thrilled to hear about her new project, “Her Indian Summer.” Sen’s rich and varied career has spanned both in front of and behind the camera, and her contributions to Indian and international cinema are truly noteworthy.


Aparna Sen, a renowned Indian filmmaker and actor, is planning to create her latest production “Her Indian Summer” as a collaboration between India and the United Kingdom. This information was shared during a recent showcase of her films in London.

A love story involving people of different races, set against the backdrop of the 1947 partition of India and Pakistan, is being created by the film production company, Big Bazaar Films. This company is co-founded by producer-director Aritra Sen from Kolkata, India, and writer-director Alex Harvey from Los Angeles, USA.

Sen gained recognition as an actor through her role in the “Samapti” segment of Satyajit Ray’s Oscar-winning film “Three Daughters” (1961). She went on to act in numerous films directed by Ray, as well as collaborating with other esteemed Indian cinema figures such as Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, and Rituparno Ghosh. Additionally, her acting resume features credits from Merchant-Ivory productions “The Guru” (1969) and “Bombay Talkie” (1970).

Aparna Sen made her directorial debut with “36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981), winning the Best Director award at India’s National Film Awards. Since then, she has directed numerous critically-acclaimed films such as “Paroma” (1984), “Sati” (1989), “Paromitar Ek Din” (2000), “Mr. and Mrs. Iyer” (2002), and “Goynar Baksho” (2013). Her film “The Rapist” won the Kim Jiseok prize at Busan in 2021. A documentary about Sen, titled “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen,” premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam this year, directed by Suman Ghosh.

“I’m thrilled about my story titled ‘Her Indian Summer.’ I envision it as a collaborative production between India and the UK, featuring prominent British and Indian actors. I’m glad that Alex Harvey and Aritra Sen from Big Bazar Films are advancing this project, and I eagerly look forward to beginning filming soon.”

“Aritra Sen is thrilled to collaborate with Aparna on an innovative new project, a film in English that mirrors her previous work. Meanwhile, Big Bazaar Films is producing ‘Forest of Humans,’ a documentary about Satyajit Ray and Kolkata, where Aparna Sen stars and Harvey directs.”

Harvey mentioned that Aparna featured in four films directed by Satyajit Ray, and beyond professional collaboration, they developed a profound friendship. Satyajit Ray played an instrumental role in guiding Aparna during the initial stages of her directorial journey. The forthcoming production from our company, titled “Prantik” (The Talisman), is influenced significantly by Ray’s masterpieces “Pratidwandi” and “Jana Aranya.”

With the Bengal Heritage Foundation and Big Bazaar Films, Sen’s career was celebrated through a mini-retrospective. This event took place at Nehru Centre and Cine Lumiere over two days. The schedule included showings of “The Japanese Wife,” “Paromitar Ek Din,” and a refurbished version of “36 Chowringhee Lane.” The restoration was led by producer Shashi Kapoor’s son, Kunal Kapoor, who is an actor and producer himself. Introducing the screening was his other son, Karan Kapoor, who is a photographer and actor.

Aparna Sen expressed her greatest joy was seeing her first film, “36 Chowringhee Lane,” beautifully restored by Kunal Kapoor. The fresh print enhanced its original beauty, showcasing every intricate detail thanks to Ashok Mehta’s exceptional photography.

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2024-07-22 10:46