Director Anamika Haksar's film, Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Jaa Riya Hoon, might be traveling to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival next year, but the director believes that films need to be encouraged whether or not they are marketable.
Speaking at the Meet The Press segment of the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Haksar said, "We still have the colonial hangover, so once we get recognition from foreign film festivals, then we are accepted in our country."
Haksar's film is in the competition section of the festival. The director stated that she sought to blend real life and fiction through her film. "This is my debut film and I got inspiration from Malayalam filmmakers like Aravindan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and John Abraham."
Haksar was joined by Iranian filmmaker, Rouhollah Hejazi, who said that commercial Indian cinema does have a presence in Iran. "For Iranian people, Indian cinema represents two different things. For the middle class, it is Bollywood [mainstream Hindi cinema] and for film professionals and enthusiasts, it is the films of filmmakers like Satyajit Ray."
Hejazi's film, The Dark Room, is in the race for the Golden Crow Pheasant prize as well, alongside Praveen Morchhale's Widow Of Silence, Mostafa Sayari's The Graveless, Vinu AK's Bilathikuzhal, Amitabha Chatterjee's Manohar And I, and Piyush Singh's (producer) Bhonsle, who were also present for the session.