Oscar-winning director’s film to premiere on Indian TV Saturday

KOLKATA - Academy award winning director Florian Gallenberger’s first feature-length film “Shadows of Time”, starring Indian actors, will premiere on Indian channel Sony PIX Saturday.

The critically acclaimed Indian-German movie, released globally in 2005, has been shot entirely in Bengali. It was earlier screened in international film festivals in Toronto and Berlin.

Tannishtha Chatterjee, who played the lead role in the movie, stills reminiscences his role and experience about working in the movie.

“The memories of the shooting in Kolkata are still fresh in my mind. It was really a thrilling experience working with Gallenberger,” said Tannishtha Chatterjee, who plays the lead role of young ‘Masha’.

The romantic story, penned by Gallenberger himself, is spread across 6 decades, beginning in pre-independent India in the 1940s.

The lead actor Prashant Narayanan too had to take lessons in the language as he is from south India and did not know Bengali.

“I had to learn Bengali for my role in this movie. It was really exciting shooting in Kolkata,” said Prashant.

The film is about a carpet factory in Kolkata where children are mercilessly exploited and abused by factory owners and parents are content selling them for a few rupees.

The story is about childhood sweethearts who find each other once they are free. But a series of misunderstandings and fear tear them apart.

Gallenberger’s movie also stars Irrfan Khan and Soumitra Chatterjee in pivotal roles.

Gallenberger’s short drama film “Quiero ser” (I want to be…) won an Academy Award in 2001 for Best Live Action Short Film.