Entertainment Desk
Independent filmmaker Aneek Chaudhuri’s ‘Cactus’ has already got movie lovers hooked for its content and it seems there’s no stopping for the silent film that portrays Jesus Christ as a woman. On Friday, Aneek received the most precious laurel for his critically acclaimed film as he was informed ‘Cactus’ will be preserved at the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences: The Oscars archive. It’s no doubt a proud moment for Indian cinema.
“I received this mail early morning and it was surely a surprise. They informed me that if I want to donate they will be happy to include ‘Cactus’ in the Academy Film Archive. It’s a moral boost for independent filmmakers like me. Films dealing with such out of box concepts need to be recognized,” said an elated Aneek.
Interestingly, the film has faced backlashes for being a blasphemy to Christ already which led to a severe criticism of the portrayal of Jesus as female. However, Aneek was well aware of it.
“We had no intentions of making this film to bring in negative publicity, however we were aware that we had to go through such issues. Nevertheless, art has triumphed and we are happy for it. This has been a film of rigorous experiences, but we ended up well. Besides, it is damn tough making alternative Cinema in our country,” explains the talented filmmaker.
‘Cactus’ which stars Aparajita Dey (playing Jesus) and Anurupa Chakraborty (playing Mother Mary) in the lead was also nominated for Rome Independent Film Awards 2019. It received good response in the market section of Cannes and even secured a distribution deal globally.
Critics have termed the film to be a visual painting experience, while some have even described it to be the output of a perplexed mind and a dark film. Amidst all these, Aneek is busy with his upcoming Hindi feature ‘Kamra’.