27 May,2020 10:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Versatile actress Vidya Balan created quite a stir recently when she dropped the intriguing first look poster of her debut short film, Natkhat. The hard-hitting film, which addresses patriarchy and toxic masculinity, while dealing with several issues such as gender inequality, rape culture, domestic violence etc., has now been selected by the Mumbai Film Festival to be world premiered at the one-of-a-kind, We Are One: A Global Film Festival on June 2, 2020. Produced and organized by New York's Tribeca Enterprises, this 10-day digital film festival will be hosted on YouTube and will encompass programming from 20 festivals, including Mumbai Film Festival, Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, New York, BFI London, Karlovy Vary, Locarno, and more.
While Vidya is also acting in the film, Natkhat marks her debut as a producer. Speaking about Natkhat's world premiere on such a prestigious platform, Vidya said, "Due to this unimaginable and mind-numbing COVID-19 crisis, while film festivals across the globe have been cancelled, digital festivals such as We Are One come as a hope for viewers and filmmakers. I am really happy and excited to showcase our film on this platform. Natkhat is a very special film because it addresses something that is extremely pertinent in these times while also delivering a strong message."
Echoing Vidya's sentiments, the film's co-producer Ronnie Screwvala said, "It's initiatives like We Are One and platforms like Tribeca Enterprises that are truly making a difference by bringing people together even during these trying times. The donations from the festival will go to the World Health Organization and I am happy that our film is going to be screened on such a platform. It is a honour for us."
Written by Annukampa Harsh and Shaan Vyaas with Associate Producer Sanaya Irani Zohrabi, Natkhat is directed by Shaan Vyas and produced by Vidya Balan and Ronnie Screwvala.
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