Andaman cinema reaches Nandan as World Film Festival lineup includes 'Handumaan'
Kolkata — The feature film Handumaan, shot entirely in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and produced by island filmmaker Samhita Veda Acharyaa, has been selected for screening at the 5th World Film Festival being held in Kolkata, organisers reported. The screening is scheduled to take place at Nandan, the city’s longstanding cultural venue.
The festival, organised by the Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI), Eastern Region, is being presented in collaboration with a group of foreign missions including the embassies of Brazil, Costa Rica, Spain and Venezuela in India, the organisers said. This edition brings together a curated selection of 38 films from various parts of the world.
Handumaan, directed by Prashant Rasaily, has a production record highlighted by Ms Veda Acharyaa’s work: she has produced a body of 22 films, with several earlier documentaries screened at prominent festivals around India, the report said. Before its selection for the Kolkata festival, Handumaan was screened at the Sikkim International Film Festival and at the Jalgaon Film Festival earlier this year.
- Title: Handumaan
- Producer: Samhita Veda Acharyaa
- Director: Prashant Rasaily
- Noted screenings prior to Kolkata: Sikkim International Film Festival; Jalgaon Film Festival
- Venue in Kolkata: Nandan
The film is notable for its use of local island talent, the organisers said, naming several artistes who appear in the production: Smti. Geetanjali Acharya, Shri. Madan Gupta, Shri. Ehtesham Ahmed Khan, Shri. Anil Kumar and Ms. Ashwini Muralidharan. The selection and screening at Nandan were described by the filmmakers as the fulfilment of a long-cherished ambition to present Andaman stories on a classical cinematic stage in eastern India.
"Presenting an Andaman-made film at a sacred cinema space like Nandan fulfills a long-cherished dream and opens new avenues for filmmakers from the region," the film team said, according to the report.
For Kolkata cinephiles, Nandan has long been a focal point for regional, national and international cinema. The World Film Festival’s inclusion of Handumaan signals growing recognition for filmmakers working beyond mainland production centres and underscores festival organisers’ stated aim of fostering cross-cultural dialogue through cinema.
| Festival | Organiser | Number of Films | Collaborating Embassies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th World Film Festival (Kolkata) | FFSI, Eastern Region | 38 | Brazil, Costa Rica, Spain, Venezuela |
Members of the Andaman creative team expressed gratitude for the festival platform, noting that the screening at Nandan will bring attention to local island narratives and performers. The appearance of Handumaan in Kolkata’s festival circuit follows other festival appearances earlier in the year and may help further the film’s visibility among programmers, distributors and audiences based in eastern India.
As the city’s festival season continues, screenings at Nandan often attract a diverse audience of students, critics, film society members and casual viewers. The selection of Handumaan adds an island voice to the festival’s slate and demonstrates the event’s reach in sourcing films from varied regions of the country and overseas.
Details of screening times and ticketing at Nandan were not included in the report. Festival-goers in Kolkata are advised to consult the official festival schedule published by the organisers for confirmed show timings and venue access information.
Coverage delivered from Kolkata.
