Anuparna Roy's Parents React To Her Best Director Win At Venice Film Festival: 'Thought She Was Chasing A Mirage'

Asansol: When the phone rang late at night at a modest home on Kulti College Road in Asansol, the Roy family could hardly believe what they were hearing. Their daughter, Anuparna Roy, had just won the Best Director award in the Orizzonti section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for her film Songs of Forgotten Trees.

For her parents, Brahmananda and Manisha Roy, the moment was bittersweet. The pride in their voices was laced with memories of the days when they had dismissed her dreams.

Anuparna Roy's parents once mocked her dreams, now celebrate historic Venice award (Photo: ANI)

When Anuparna quit her stable job in Delhi during the Covid period to pursue filmmaking, her decision was met with resistance at home.

Her father, a retired officer from Eastern Coalfields Limited, remembers his words vividly: "You want to quit your job and make films, are you going to be Satyajit Ray?" Her mother, a housewife, had been equally harsh: "By cinema, we only knew of Uttam-Suchitra films on our black-and-white TV. I thought she was chasing a mirage. I even asked if she had lost her mind."

But Anuparna, stubborn and determined, had replied simply: "One day the whole world will know me." That conviction, once mocked, has now made her parents proud beyond words.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Brahmananda Roy admitted his misjudgment: "We are from a middle-class family. We didn't understand cinema. I never thought quitting her job could take her so far. Today, I am shocked, but also proud."

Mother Manisha added: "The night we got the news, I could not sleep. I kept thinking of her words. She used to say, 'Mom, I'll be the best in the world.' Today, it has come true."

Now, after the win, they are planning a warm homecoming. Manisha has promised to cook her daughter's favourite dishes: mutton curry and hilsa fish, as soon as Anuparna returns from Venice.

The film That Made History

Songs of Forgotten Trees, presented by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, follows the lives of two migrant women in Mumbai: one an aspiring actress, the other a corporate worker, who share an unlikely bond.

The film stars Naaz Shaikh and Sumi Baghel and is produced by Bibhanshu Rai, Romil Modi, and Ranjan Singh. At the Venice closing ceremony, French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, president of the Orizzonti jury, announced Anuparna's win.

Dressed in a white saree, the young director accepted the award with tears in her eyes, calling the recognition "surreal."

"This film is a tribute to every woman who's ever been silenced, overlooked, or underestimated. May this win inspire more voices, more stories, and more power for women in cinema and beyond."

Born in Narayanpur, a small village in Purulia, Anuparna studied in local government schools before moving to West Burdwan. She graduated in English from Kulti College and later pursued a master's in Mass Communication from Delhi.

Her first film, Run to River, was shot across the natural landscapes of Purulia. But it was Songs of Forgotten Trees that catapulted her to international recognition.

A Historic Win For Indian Women Directors

Anuparna Roy is only the fifth filmmaker from the subcontinent to bring home a trophy from Venice, joining legends like Satyajit Ray, Mira Nair, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, and Chaitanya Tamhane.

She also represents a new wave of Indian women filmmakers making their mark globally. In recent years, Payal Kapadia, Shuchi Talati, Varsha Bharath, and Diwa Shah have all won prestigious awards at Cannes, Sundance, Rotterdam, and San Sebastián respectively.

Producer Romil Modi summed up Anuparna's impact: "Supporting women like her isn't just a choice, it's a responsibility. Their stories hold far more strength than many of the war-driven tales we are fed today."

Family Awaits Her Return

For now, the Roy family is waiting eagerly for Anuparna to return home. Her father has already planned a visit to their ancestral village in Purulia, where neighbours are preparing to welcome her with pride.

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