At the Berlinale Premiere
Eclectic Indian Offerings

The first post-pandemic Berlinale promises to explore both personal and the political with themes aplenty in Indian contributions from documenting dissent to exploring first love.
By Prathap Nair
The red carpet is rolled out, the spotlights are switched on and the paparazzi are gearing to brave the frosty chill of February in Berlin as stars and talent descend upon the city for Berlinale. The most anticipated event on this side of the Atlantic, Berlinale also marks the beginning of the film festival season in Europe.
Indian offerings in a nutshell
With covid restrictions entirely out of the way, the festival is nevertheless happening close on the heels of geopolitical tensions, at least two of which are on focus – Russia’s war against Ukraine and an ongoing people’s revolution in Iran. With Berlinale’s history of never shying away from taking a political stand, Ukraine and Iran heavily feature on the festival’s roster of films and documentaries. India’s representation at Europe’s prominent film festival is not insignificant with a handful of films, documentaries, and the screening of the Satyajit Ray classic Aparajito - The Unvanquished in the Retrospective section.Iran via India

And, Towards Happy Alleys features critics of the regime like renowned filmmakers Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Shirvani. Panahi, who has been detained since July 2022 by the regime, was released recently after a prolonged hunger strike.
Alongside Singh’s documentary title, the Panorama section will also include another Indian entry, Chhatrapal Ninawe’s film Ghaath (Ambush). Earlier, Ninawe’s film was dropped from the Panorama section lineup in 2021 after the producers Jio Studios sent a legal notice to the festival announcing the withdrawal of their support for the film. Though Ghaath was pulled out from the festival as a result, Ninawe has since found other producers to platform his film, regaining the film’s spot in the Panorama section this year.

First love, courtesy of Bollywood

In the Forum section, filmmaker Priya Sen’s work No Stranger At All is a meditation on Delhi that explores the intersection of, “rise of fascism in India and a global pandemic.” As the covid 19 pandemic ravaged the world, she spent two years in the city documenting what she claims are, “incomplete fictions of the people, places, and protests that keep the language of hatred at bay and absorb the city’s grief and euphoria.”
Other noteworthy participations from India this year include Aparajito, the second film from legend Satyajit Ray’s timeless Apu trilogy that documents the story of a young man’s confrontation with the modernisation and westernisation of Indian society.
Spotlight on Web Series

The Berlinale opens on Thursday, February 16, with She Came to Me, labelled as a “sophisticated comedy,” directed by Rebecca Miller, starring Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig, Brian d’Arcy James, and Anne Hathaway at the Berlinale Palast.
Get ready for a diverse selection of films at this year's Berlinale! Keep an eye out for our reviews of Indian movies showcased at the festival, as well as interviews with some of the talented individuals involved in their creation.
About the author
Prathap Nair is an independent cultural journalist based in Düsseldorf, Germany, who covers the Berlinale for major Indian publications.