Prataya Saha's short film on heritage conservation is now officially qualified to compete at the Oscars

Kolkata boy Prataya Saha left his corporate job, to pursue his filmmaking dreams. His pursuit has led him to achieve newer heights, as his short film Shonar Khacha- The Golden Cage is now officially competing in the Oscars qualifying run. The film delves deep into the themes of heritage conservation, silent rebellion of women in traditional Indian households and is set against the backdrop of north Kolkata.

“I believe the film possesses the potential to resonate profoundly with a diverse audience, connecting them to their roots,” shares Prataya, whose film has travelled globally acclaimed film festivals such IFFSA, Toronto, and screened in 4 cities in the UK last october, namely- London, Manchester, Birmingham and Bradford. It has also been officially selected at the DC South Asian Film Festival in Washington DC and will be screening there on the first week of December. It is also an official selection at the Nepal Human Rights International Film Festival and the prestigious 22-year-running Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh.

“It took us almost 10 months to make the film as we endeavoured to create something that embodied the smallest of nuances in Indian culture through sounds, visuals, costumes and music,” adds Prataya.
The film features actors Anshulika Kapoor, Deboprasad Halder and Sounak Sen Barat in pivotal roles, and has been produced by Anshulika Kapoor and Romita Singh. Kolkata based artiste Anindita Banerjee Roy has lent her voice to the narrative of the film. His other film I am Mehmood (Mein Mehmood) had previously won the Best Short Film award at the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) last year.