“Not Today” is slated to release in India later this year…reports Asian Lite News.
Getting honoured is truly a treasure for artists. Indie filmmaker Aditya Kripalani’s film “Not Today” has been honoured at the recent UK Asian Film Festival. The film talking about suicide prevention has been awarded the Ray Of Hope Igniting Flame Commendation 2021.
The film starring Harsh Chhaya and Rucha Inamdar has also been officially selected for the Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart 2021.
“It feels great to win the festival directors award because the UK along with India, has very high rates of suicide. Also akin to India, in the UK also 60 per cent of suicides are by men. So, I’m glad the festival recognised the film and wrote to us saying they felt very strongly for it,” Kripalani said.
“The UK Asian Film Festival is special because your film stands on a platform with films from Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and the UK itself along with many more countries. They also hold screenings across the UK and not just in London. So, we get a cross sections of audiences for the film,” the filmmaker added.
“Not Today talks about somehow overcoming that strong urge to kill oneself, in that one moment. It talks about loneliness and about how sometimes all one needs is someone to listen at the right time,” he added.
“Not Today” is slated to release in India later this year.
Aditya Loves Film Making
Filmmaker Aditya Kripalani says that he loves making films that explore stories around people engaging with their and other genders.
“I normally like to make films about human beings engaging with their own and other genders, and about humans engaging with society. Also (I like making) films about ‘what ifs’,” he told.
Kripalani is known for his indie film and “Tikli And Laxmi Bomb”, and his most recent film “The Goddess And The Hero” (“Devi Aur Hero”) was premiered at The Projector — Singapore. The filmmaker says that film festivals are a great way to understand how a film would be accepted globally.
“Films playing at festivals tell you how your idea and emotions are translating across borders to someone from a very different circumstance and background,” he says.
Aditya says that he wants to keep making films regularly.
“Future plans are to keep making one film a year as soon as I’m able to, with Covid around. I want to make films that in some way engage with society around us. A human being’s attempt at finding dignity and belonging in the world. Things we all deal with universally forever,” he says.
Meanwhile, he adds that he doesn’t want his career as a filmmaker to become a burden for him.
“I’m more aware of commercial viability now, but not too much. The other thing I hope to not have to do, is to lose my freedom of living life because I want to make movies. I don’t want filmmaking to ever become a chain. I still want to be able to pursue anything else I feel like along with having a career in film,” he says.
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