Indian short film 'Leeches' wins at Seoul film gala

Indian short film "Leeches", starring Sayani Gupta, won the Audience Choice Award at the Seoul International Women's Film Festival (SIWFF). The actress is excited about the success.

"Leeches" is a film about two Hyderabadi sisters who live in the interiors of the city where a lot of orthodox practices are still prevalent. The story is about an older sister who hatches a dangerous and improbable plan to save her younger sister from becoming a one-day bride and their fight against the prevalent culture and its practices.

The film was premiered in April and is now travelling across various film festivals across the world including Brussels and Finland. The film was screened at SIWFF on June 5, and won on Thursday.

"The audience reaction at Seoul was fantastic, I heard. This film, directed by Payal Sethi, is very close to my heart," Sayani said in a statement.

"It's such a gripping story of a girl trying to fight the harsh realities of life in a lower middle class ghetto Muslim household in Hyderabad and trying to save her mute sister from being sold off. It's a relevant film and it's always insightful to see how audiences across the world reacts to our stories," she added.

"Leeches" will also be screened at a film festival in Kerala.

--IANS

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