Indira Dhar’s Putul Is The First Bengali Film In Contention For Best Picture At The Oscars

Indira Dhar shares her joy on having her film Putul as the first Bengali film in contention for the 97th Academy Awards

Putul directed and produced by Indira Dhar, has achieved a major feat by becoming the first Bengali film in the Best Picture category of the 97th Academy Awards.

It is indeed a momentous occasion as it highlights, that meaningful storytelling can take regional cinema across borders. There’s an audience for every kind of film, irrespective of the language.

The director was elated with the development, as she shared,  “Achieving this milestone is not just a recognition of my work but a celebration of every dreamer who dares to believe. I am very happy and would like to thank the Academy of Motion Pictures and the Oscar committee for considering our film to compete for the Best Picture Category among thousands of other entries worldwide.”

She further added, “For the first time in history, a Bengali film, Putul, has been selected as one of 207 films worldwide, competing for the Best Picture category. This is my debut feature film and as the director and producer, I’m extremely grateful to my team members and all those who have supported the film.”

Talking about the journey of the film, Indira said, “The past five years were extremely difficult—not having any large budgets or international producers on board to fund the film was very challenging, shooting the film also came with its set of challenges. The film delves into the lives of street children in India, which required us to shoot on the streets. But I’m very grateful that everything worked out eventually. I wish for India to shine bright at the 97th Academy Awards.”

Indira donned multiple hats to bring this film to fruition. She is the writer, director, and producer of the film.

The film was also screened at the prestigious 77th Cannes Film Festival’s—Marchu Du Film, on May 16, 2024.