LondonFilmFest- Nandita Das with her directorial debut, FIRAAQ

Award winning actress, Theatre persona and Human Rights activist Nandita Das received critical acclaim for her directorial debut based on the aftermath of the Hindu-Muslim Communal Riots in Gujarat.

http://www.firaaqthefilm.com/

(Watch Alan Steinfeld interviewing Nandita Das during a FilmFest in New York, on "Firaaq" - Overcoming Violence?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M7sobpnbmI )

I watched the film at a houseful screening at Leicester Square followed by the Q&A session of the audience with Nandita. Afterwards, I went and congratulated her and talked to her about the 2 movies in which she acted which were shown in last year's London Film Fest. 'Maathi Maay' (a Marathi movie) and 'Naalu Pennungal' (Four Women, by Adoor Gopalakrishnan), both showing the role of women in traditional society and the suffering they endure.

Later in the evening I attended a talk, interview and interaction session, at The Nehru Centre in London , of 3 debut directors whose movies are screened during London Film Fest..

2 were Indians; Nandita Das, +Shashanka Ghosh, seated from right, who directed QuickGun Murugan), and one young Pakistani lady Mehreen(seated left)- in whose movie "Ramchand Pakistani", Nandita is the lead actress as well!.

They described their experience of directing the movie- Nadita and Mehreen also talked about Mehreen's movie, based on real story of a small village boy of the desert who crossed over to India border and was caught and arrested and jailed..

Among the 3, the 2 movies directed by ladies are quite intense and real, deep and sensitive portrayals..