Berlin-Bound ‘Shadowbox’ Explores Mental Health and Family Bonds in Working-Class India, Clip Unveiled: ‘It’s a Journey of Love’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran A retired soldier’s descent into crisis and its rippling effect through a working-class Bengali family forms the emotional core of “Shadowbox” (“Baksho Bondi”), set to world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival‘s Perspectives strand.

The Bengali-language feature marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi (Oscar nominated “All That Breathes”) and editor Tanushree Das (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”).

The filmmakers have unveiled a clip exclusively for Variety. The film stars acclaimed actor Tillotama Shome (“Sir,” “Death in the Gunj”) as Maya, a woman working multiple jobs – from house cleaning to chicken farming to laundry pressing – while caring for her PTSD-affected husband Sundar (Chandan Bisht) and their teenage son Debu (newcomer Sayan Karmakar).

When Sundar becomes implicated in a murder investigation, Maya must navigate both societal prejudices and her own complicated past decisions. “The genesis came from two distinct places,” Sahi told Variety. “Tanushree had this dream image of her mother collecting clothes before the rain, and I had childhood memories of a friend whose father suffered from severe delusions.