'Udaan' debuts at Cannes, director feels humbled

Cannes, May 19 (IANS) First-time director Vikramaditya Motwane, whose "Udaan" is being screened Wednesday at the ongoing 63rd Cannes International Film Festival, feels humbled at his film being selected for the prestigious event to represent India.

Starring television actor Ronit Roy, "Udaan", which will be screened in the Un Certain Regard section, is the first film to represent India in the Cannes official section in the last seven years.

"I feel very humbled," Motwane told IANS. "I am quite surprised that Cannes film festival picked 'Udaan'. Being an official selection at Cannes is encouraging. Quite frankly, the film was not made for festival as a target but a commercial film."

"Udaan" revolves around teenager Rohan. After being in a boarding school for eight years, Rohan returns to the small industrial town of Jamshedpur (in Jharkhand) and finds himself closeted with an authoritarian father and a half brother who he didn't know existed.

Forced to work in his father's steel factory and study engineering against his wishes, he strikes to forge his own life out of his given circumstances and pursue his dream of being a writer.

Motwane says the film is inspired by parts of his life, but is pure fiction. It is a journey of a teenage boy wanting to break free from shackles. "It is a film made with lot of honesty and lot of dedication," he said.

Motwane struggled to find a producer for "Udaan" which was on top of his mind's radar since 2003. Finally, in March 2009 when Anurag Kashyap and Sanjay Singh came on board as co-producers, he managed to launch the movie.

Anurag also contributed in the dialogues for "Udaan".

"Anurag and Sanjay raised enough money to turn my script into a film. They packed me off to shoot the film and backed me all the way to make the film I always wanted to. The result is 'Udaan'," said Motwane.

The film was made on a budget of $725,000.

Earlier this month, UTV Motion Pictures' Ronnie Screwvala came on board to join Anurag and Sanjay as co-producer and represent "Udaan" for global sales and distribution at the Cannes Film Market.

UTV will release "Udaan" in the domestic and international market July 16.

"The aspiration level has gone up. 'Udaan' has also given new energy to directors like me in India to aim high," said Motwane.

The director is at Cannes with his wife Ishika, mother Dipa De and father Sunil Motwane.

"The hard work is really worth it," said Ishika.

Motwane began his film career assisting his producer mother Dipa De in TV Show "Teen Talk", Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", Deepa Mehta's "Water" and Anurag Kashyap's "Paanch". He also worked as a sound designer in Bhansali's "Devadas".

"I have never interfered in my son's film journey. That's his business. We are very happy that 'Udaan' has brought pride to every Indian," said Sunil Motwane, engaged in the electronics business.

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