Venice Winner Anuparna Roy’s ‘Blue Night’ Boarded by Parallax

Parallax has acquired international sales rights to Anuparna Roy’s “Lovers in the Blue Night,” which will have its world premiere in the Horizons competition at the Venice Film Festival.

The film brings Roy back to the Lido one year after she became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Horizons best director prize, an honor she took for her debut feature, “Songs of Forgotten Trees.”

Set amid Mumbai’s restless nightlife, “Lovers in the Blue Night” centers on four migrants whose lives intertwine: a husband hiding his sexuality, his lonely wife who works in a bar, a petty criminal and a man who trades in sex work. Their paths converge through unlikely romance, hidden longing and a shared fight to survive and belong.

“We were deeply impressed by the film’s delicate and nuanced portrayal of human emotions,” said Parallax’s Liuying Cao. “Rather than relying on dramatic gestures, it finds remarkable strength in subtle moments, which stayed with us long after the screening. We are also very excited by Anuparna Roy’s distinct directorial voice. We sincerely hope to accompany her and her future works on their international journey, beginning with ‘Lovers in the Blue Night.’”

The production is backed by Vikas Kumar of Khan & Kumar Media, Sharib Khan of Ammi Media, Bibhanshu Rai and Romil Modi, who previously worked together on Roy’s “Songs of Forgotten Trees.” The team has since grown with the addition of U.S.-based Rhet Topham as producer, U.S.-based Beesham Sreecharan as executive producer and London-based Amar Singh as associate producer, joining executive producer Neeraj Churi.

The cast includes Neelima Sharma, Pritam Pilania, Bhushan Shimpi, Jatin Sarin, Kajal Keshav, Swetha Mishra and Vinod Suryavanshi. Roy also wrote the story. Debjit Samanta served as cinematographer, Ketul Thakkar edited the film and Nishant Ramtake composed the original score.