Bengali film on mobile surveillance screened at KIFF

A Bengali film based on surveillance through mobile devices has been screened at the national competition section of the 25th Kolkata International Film Festival.

Speaking about the film at a press conference on Thursday, director of the movie, Indrashis Acharya, said 'Parcel' takes a "judgemental stand" on the issue of intrusion into an individual's privacy through mobile surveillance.

"With the help of artificial intelligence, every step you take, the places you check-in to, the people you meet, the route on which you commute every day and the place you stay at can be tracked through your mobile device," he said.

The movie is about how this suffocating atmosphere could lead to depression, Acharya said.

 

Bengali actor Rituparna Sengupta, who plays the lead role in the movie, said that in certain portions of the movie, she felt "deeply disturbed".

"This is a film which is very close to my heart. It has brought to the fore a new aspect of our lives. Tracking is an intrusion into one's privacy and the feeling of always being monitored is suffocating," she said.

On the title of the film, the actor said, "We all become happy about the delivery of a parcel. But in the movie, the parcel brings in dilemma and confusion to the receiver's mind."

Critically-acclaimed actor Saswata Chatterjee, who is playing an important role in the movie, said, "It is difficult to find a producer for films with contemporary themes that are executed in a different way."

Chatterjee, who still does not use a mobile phone, said he has often found that directors come up with an interesting storyline during narration but fail to execute it during the shoot.

"But, Indrashis (Acharya) had visualised the entire film and beautifully wove the theme with facts," he said.

Music director Joy Sarkar said musicians from Israel and Czech Republic have created a soundscape in the movie.

The movie has been selected for screening at the Singapore Film Festival.