Prateek Vats’s Eeb Allay Ooo! will be screened at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival on 23 February. The film had its world premiere at the Pingyao International Film Festival in China, where it was the only Indian film in competition.
With its India premiere at the 21st Mumbai Film Festival last year, it also won the Golden Gateway award. The film follows a young Bihari migrant, Anjani, who is hired as a monkey repeller by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
Producer Shwetaabh Singh initially joined the industry as an actor and after coming across a few interesting projects decided to join them as a producer. To have his first production in the Competition section at the Mumbai Film Festival was a big achievement for him and his team.
Why make movies if we can’t engage with what is happening around us: Filmmaker Prateek Vats
“Content is not king, the names attached are not king. But when it comes to cinema, it is the treatment that is king. I believe with the right treatment you can raise even mediocre content to brilliant cinema. With Eeb Allay Ooo!, the story and concept were already good; the treatment just took this film to another level! I hope to garner the same love at Berlin as we have so far,” Shwetaabh Singh said ahead of the film’s German premiere.
Some Indian films that have been screened at Berlin include Kai Po Che! (2013), Highway (2014), Sairat (2016) and Gully Boy (2019). This year’s edition will be held from 20 February to 1 March.