Three Indian films at Durban International Film Festival

NEW DELHI: Ritesh Batra’s Lunchbox and Anup Singh’s Qissa, the two Indian films that have swept international film festivals over the past year, will be among the three Indian films at the 35th edition of the Durban International Film Festival.

Jayan K. Cherian’s Papilio Buddha will be the third Indian film at the festival to be held from 17 to 27 July.

A total of around 69 feature films, 60 documentaries and 57 short films will be screened.

Qissa will be screened as part of a special package of films on Gender and Sexuality as it is a film that blurs the boundaries of gender and genre in its story of a girl who is brought up as a boy.

The Lunchbox– a tale of an isolated housewife who tries to reignite her relationship with her husband through a friendship she forms with someone who receives her delicious meals – will be screened in World Cinema section.

Also in the World Cinema section is Papilio Buddha, the story of a university-educated son of a Dalit activist who is politically apathetic until he receives bad treatment at the hands of the state.

The film was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival early this year.