Tathagata Ghosh: ‘Footprints’ speaks for the oppressed women against toxic masculinity and patriarchy in society

After earning accolades for his last film ‘Dhulo’ in International festival arena, Kolkata boy Tathagata Ghosh is ready with his next, yet another hard-hitting short ‘Footprints’ that mirrors our decaying society. The film depicts a morning in the life of a house help as she navigates the various odds in her home and at the place where she works.
Speaking about his new offering the young filmmaker reveals that ‘Footprints’ germinated from the interactions with his cook at home, “A young lady in her early thirties and a single mother, we hardly heard her speak apart from a few “yes” and occasional silent nods.But I have always felt there is a strange sadness within her. And then one day, it all changed when she suddenly broke down at work. After me and my mother calmed her down, she opened up to us. We saw a different side of hers other than the usual silent and demure self. That vulnerable side of hers left a deep impact on me. I felt guilty about how we tend to overlook certain things, even if they are right in front of us.”
He further adds, “That day, I promised to myself that I will share her story with the world. And that led me to start writing the script of ‘Footprints’. It is a very personal film for me and I wanted to remind everyone through this short how we often take our privileges for granted”

Tathagata also feels that this film is most timely. “Especially given the tough times we are living in and the increase in abuse against women every day and the striking growth of toxic masculinity and patriarchy. It shocks me every day to see how discrimination in the name of caste, class, gender or sexuality has taken over the basis of our society- Humanity! ‘Footprints’ is about each of those, who are kept 'invisible' despite being one of us,” adds the talented filmmaker.
The hard-hitting short film stars Payel Rakshit, Deboprasad Haldar, Anjita Banerjee, Archisha Ghosh, Aratrick Bhadra, Tithi Chattopadhyay, Shivamrita Chakraborty, and Bimal Giri in key roles. Payel plays the lead role of the house help.