Paoli-starrer Tope to premiere in Toronto, selected for London, Busan

It���s triple treat for filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta���s latest flick, Tope ��� The Bait, starring Paoli. While the movie is all set to premiere at the Masters of World Cinema section of the Toronto International Film Festival 2016, it has also been invited to be a part of London and Busan film festivals.

Five-time National Award winner for Best Feature Film, Dasgupta sounded upbeat as he said, ���This is the seventh time that I have been invited to showcase my movie at the Masters in Toronto. I feel honoured and humbled.��� In a mail to the director, Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival, said, ���We would like to invite The Bait to make its world premiere in Toronto in our Masters section. It���s a beautiful film.���

Tope or The Bait, authored by the late Narayan Gangopadhyay, has been rated by critics as one of the 10 best short stories ever written in Bengali. It centres around middle-aged Randeep, descendant of a royal family, and his quest to give a pair of shoes made of tiger skin to his ladylove. Buddhadeb Dasgupta has done the script and dialogue, besides directing the film.

According to the master director, ���The film has been shot as a fast-paced drama projecting the contradictory lives of two categories of people of our country. Ninety per cent of the film has been shot outdoors. Folklore plays an important role in the film. Treatment wise and in its narrative pattern, the film is almost like an intense suspense thriller, dark and poignant.���

Ananya Chatterjee, who plays a pivotal character in the movie, said, ���I am very excited that the movie will be screened in three of the biggest festivals in.the world. It was a pleasure working with Buddhada. His take on the character I portray was so challenging and lyrical. The character communicates through silence and connects with the outside world through binoculars. I hope the world sees and appreciates the movie as much as we loved being a part of it.���

Tope has also been invited to participate in the 60th BFI London Film Festival and will be part of the 21st Busan International Film Festival, which commences in October.