“Uljhan/The Knot”, directed by Ashish Pant, will have its Asia premiere in Shanghai International Film Festival as an official selection in the SIFF Gala section. SIFF is one of the largest film festivals in Asia, and will be held from June 11 to June 20 this year. “Uljhan/The Knot” will be screened on June 13 and 14.
The film features Saloni Batra and Vikas Kumar, and tells the story of a married couple involved in a car accident where they injure a pedestrian. The film is about how the incident impacts their lives and how they deal with its practical and emotional implications.
In its description of the film, the SIFF press catalogue states: “A middle-class couple drove and knocked down someone. The two had completely different attitudes towards the accident, which caused an unbridgeable crack in their relationship. The film uses a realistic style to discuss issues such as class contradictions and materialism in contemporary Indian society, and question whether the middle class can help promote social progress. Director Pant repeatedly uses Ozu’s “cross-axis” dialogue and scheduling in the film, so that the subjective point of view of the character coincides with the point of view of the audience, so as to ask the audience’s soul. Although the film is Pant’s feature film debut, it is particularly sophisticated in its handling of characters and social themes.”
The film was recently screened at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) and Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles (IFFLA).
