Uljhan/The Knot, directed by Ashish Pant and Produced by Kartikeya Narayan Singh, will have its Asian premiere in Shanghai International Film Festival as an official selection in the SIFF Gala section. The Shanghai International Film Festival, abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in Asia. SIFF this year is from June 11th to June 20th and Uljhan/The Knot will be screened at the festival on 13th and 14th June. Uljhan/The Knot was recently screened at the SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SBIFF) and INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL IN LOS ANGELES (IFFLA) where it received positive reviews from media as well as the audience.
SIFF press release describes Uljhan/The Knot as “A middle-class couple drove and knocked down someone. The two had completely different attitudes towards the accident, which caused an unbridgeable crack in their relationship. The film uses a realistic style to discuss issues such as class contradictions and materialism in contemporary Indian society, and question whether the middle class can help promote social progress. Director Pant repeatedly uses Ozu's "cross-axis" dialogue and scheduling in the film, so that the subjective point of view of the character coincides with the point of view of the audience, to ask the audience's soul. Although the film is Pant's feature film debut, it is particularly sophisticated in its handling of characters and social themes”.
Uljhan/The Knot, starring Saloni Batra (Soni) and Vikas Kumar (Hamid), is the story of a married couple Geeta and Shirish, in a car accident where they have injured a pedestrian. Uljhan/The Knot is about their life after that accident and how they deal with its practical and emotional implications. The film has been produced by Route one Productions in association with Kartikeya Narayan Singh and Christopher Zalla.
Ashish Pant said, “On behalf of the entire team that made The Knot I feel humbled and honoured to have our Asian premiere at Shanghai International Film Festival. I really hope that The Knot’s universal themes resonate with the audience at SIFF. I’d like to thank the selectors at SIFF and Kyoko Dan for giving The Knot this platform to reach audiences in China.”
Kartikeya Narayan Singh said, “I am happy that Uljhan has found itself at such a prestigious platform. It is a matter of great honour for Ashish to be a part of them as an official selection in the SIFF Gala section at the Shanghai International Film Festival. We are very grateful to the selection committee of the festival to show us their love and appreciation. The Cast and crew of the film are very excited to bring the film to Chinese audiences. Sadly, the pandemic has kept us from travelling to the festival, the opportunity is sorely missed.”
Vikas Kumar was quoted as saying, “To be a part of the Shanghai International Film Festival is a great honour for our whole team. As a part of the film, I am really glad that our movie is getting a chance to reach the audience in China." Saloni Batra expressed her happiness and shared, "I'm extremely delighted to know that Uljhan has made it to the Shanghai International Film Festival. We made this film with a lot of heart and passion and I'm glad to know that our work will be showcased at such a prestigious film festival and help us reach a wider global audience."