The multiple award winning film Lipstick Under My Burkha, featuring Konkona Sen Sharma and Ratna Pathak Shah, produced by Prakash Jha, and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, got to have it’s UK, USA and France premiere in quick succession.
Today, the film premieres as one of the only 10 films in competition at the Glasgow Film Festival, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the UK. March 5th, the film has its North American premiere at the Miami International Film Festival, where it is part of the Spotlight on Women Directors, and is competing for the Audience Award. March 11th is the French premiere at the International Women’s Film Festival at Creteil, Paris. The film is part of the Official Competition selection of only 8 features from across the world. The Creteil Festival is the oldest film festival for women filmmakers in the world. And it is considered the most prestigious women’s film festival in the world. In March itself, the film travels to the London Asian Film Festival followed by other festivals across Europe and the USA in April.
Producer Prakash Jha, “Lipstick Under My Burkha is a very relevant film about female desire. This theme cuts across cultural boundaries and divisions. It’s very heartening to know that people across the world are enjoying and engaging with the film.”
Director Alankrita Shrivastava, “It is so exciting to see Lipstick Under My Burkha travel the world. I am so overwhelmed by the response to the film. I think the voices of Indian women need to be heard across the world. And it is very important in today’s times that films like Lipstick… that express the female gaze are made and watched.”
Lipstick Under My Burkha won the Spirit of Asia Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and the Oxfam Award for the Best Film on Gender Equality at the Mumbai Film Festival. It has also been screened at the Stockholm Film Festival, POFF Black Nights Tallinn Film Festival and the Cairo International Film Festival.
Set in the crowded lanes of small town India, Lipstick Under My Burkha chronicles the secret lives of four women in search of a little freedom. The cast includes Konkona Sensharma, Ratha Pathak Shah, Aahana Kumra, Plabita Borthakur, Sushant Singh, Vikrant Massey, Vaibhav Tatwawdi, Shashank Arora and Jagat Singh Solanki.
