Anuparna Roy Takes Indian Stories to Europe Amid Censorship at Home

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Venice: Anuparna Roy, an Indian director whose first Songs of Forgotten Trees won the Best Director award in the Orizzonti section at the 2025 Venice picture Festival, claims the picture has been banned from distribution in India after the country's film certification authority declared it a ‘threat to society.’

Roy, who is returning to Venice this week with her second film, Lovers of the Blue Night, said she was terribly upset by the censoring, noting that she represented India when she won the award. Her debut follows two migrant women who share an apartment in Mumbai, including a part-time sex worker and a contact centre employee.

Her latest film delves into the life of Bangladeshi migrants in Mumbai, touching on poverty, bereavement, and sexuality. Roy claims that independent filmmakers in India suffer pressure from economic interests and politics, despite her desire to present a less attractive perspective of the city.

Roy's quick rise has established her as one of India's emerging independent directors. She is primarily self-taught and relocated from Purulia, West Bengal, to Mumbai after working at a New Delhi contact centre. Her 2025 Venice win made her the first Indian director to get the Orizzonti Best Director Award.