India’s Anuparna Roy on Venice Debut ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’: ‘There’s Space for Our Stories, Told on Our Own Terms’

Following the Venice selection of her debut feature “Songs of Forgotten Trees” in the festival’s Horizons section, Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy reflects on the intimate journey behind India’s only entry in the official selection.

The drama, presented by Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap and repped by Celluloid Dreams, explores the lives of two migrant women navigating survival and connection in Mumbai.

The film centers on Thooya, an aspiring actor who leverages beauty and wit to survive in the city, occasionally trading intimacy for opportunity. When she sublets her sugar daddy’s upscale apartment to Swetha, a fellow migrant working a corporate job, the two women from seemingly different worlds begin to share more than just space. Set against Mumbai’s relentless pulse, their delicate connection faces tests as personal histories, desires, and wounds resurface.

“Being selected for Venice’s Horizons section with ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees’ is a deeply meaningful milestone,” Roy tells Variety. “It’s my first narrative feature, and coming from shorts this recognition affirms my belief in quiet, personal storytelling. Representing India in a section that celebrates bold new voices is both humbling and encouraging. It tells me there’s space for our stories, told on our own terms.”

The project stems from Roy’s memory of her friend Jhuma, who got married and vanished from her life. “Jhuma’s disappearance from my life left a quiet but lasting impact,” Roy explains. “To translate that personal memory into a universal narrative, I focused less on the event itself and more on the emotional undercurrents: loss, silence and the way certain people vanish from our lives without closure.”

Roy initially considered making a documentary about Jhuma but pivoted to fiction. “Fiction let me protect the real people while still honoring the truth of that experience,” she says. “The challenge was to balance that freedom with restraint. I didn’t want to over-explain or dramatize.”

The Hollong tree, central to the film’s title, serves as a subtle metaphor. “I approached it with a sense of restraint, letting it appear subtly almost like a presence felt more than explained,” Roy notes. “The Hollong tree isn’t just an image; it carries the weight of extinction, of something once vibrant now fading. It echoes the retreat and erasure of memories, especially of Jhuma Nath.”

Cinematographer Debjit Samanta employed natural light and long, observational takes to stay close to the characters’ lived reality. The rental apartment where Roy lived during production became an integral part of the storytelling. “Initially I wanted to reveal the space slowly and not immediately but then during the process you realized the house itself became a character, which is quite unavoidable. We almost used every space of the house,” Roy explains.

The film’s sound design, created by Arka Dev, Alok De and Nishant Ramteke, incorporates “a sense of migration through sound, the chaotic atmosphere of Mumbai and the chaos inside the character are often loud and sometimes subtle,” according to Roy.

Roy’s journey to Venice was supported by a dedicated producing team. When facing financial difficulties, producer Romil Modi stepped in with crucial funding. “Romil ended up putting everything he can, and I am forever grateful to him,” Roy says.

Producer Bibhanshu Rai, who has collaborated with Roy since 2021, co-produced the film alongside Modi and veteran producer Ranjan Singh (Cannes selection “Kennedy”). “Ranjan sir always been that guidance when no one was beside [me],” Roy notes. “He has history of supporting indie filmmakers which is just so inspiring and optimistic as an approach.”

Singh, who brought the project to Kashyap’s attention, operates under his company Flip Films and has over 20 years of experience producing and distributing films that regularly feature at international festivals.

Kashyap’s involvement as presenter marks a significant endorsement for Roy. “I remember how secretly I watched ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ and chose filmmaking as my career,” she reflects. “I want to tell young filmmakers that Anurag Kashyap is not just a great filmmaker, he is an institution.”

The cast features Naaz Shaikh as Thooya, Sumi Baghel as Sweta, Bhushan Shimpi as Nitin, Ravi Maan as Sweta’s boyfriend, and Lovely Singh as Nitin’s wife.

Roy hails from Narayanpur, a village in Purulia, West Bengal, and holds a degree in British English literature from Kulti College under Burdwan University. She began her cinema career as an assistant director on several short films, including one produced by India’s National Film Development Corporation. Her directorial debut short film “Run to the River” garnered critical acclaim at numerous international festivals.

Beyond filmmaking, Roy is a published writer known for her work on minorities’ rights and refugees.

Looking ahead, Roy expresses interest in “third world cinema” and “portraying of human emotion.” While open to exploring documentary filmmaking again, she emphasizes her continued evolution as “a student of cinema.”