At the 14th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) in McLeod Ganj, filmmakers Anuparna Roy and Rohan Kanawade reflected on their award-winning works and the evolving landscape of independent cinema during a panel titled “From Vision to Reality: The Making of Indie Cinema”.
Filmmakers share the journey behind award-winning films
On the second day of DIFF 2025, director Anuparna Roy (whose film Songs of Forgotten Trees won the Orizzonti Best Director Award at the Venice International Film Festival) and Rohan Kanawade (whose feature Sabar Bonda clinched the Grand Jury Prize in World Cinema Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival) took part in a lively discussion about the challenges and breakthroughs of creating indie films, says PTI.
Roy, whose film will close DIFF this year, said: “I don’t think anyone makes films, designing them for festivals. You make it because you are emotional, you want to say something.” She revealed that she sent a rough cut of her film to Venice when the deadline loomed and credited the urgency for the achievement, according to a PTI report.
Kanawade recounted how sales agents in Europe and America passed on his film, calling it “a difficult sell”. “Should I make the film that can be easy for you to sell?” he asked. “No. I can’t make a film that everyone else wants to watch; I will make a film the way I want to make a film.” He emphasised patience and honesty in storytelling.
Independent cinema’s next chapter: more than just niche
The panel also featured Bhutanese filmmaker Dechen Wangmo Roder (director of I, The Son) and India’s Nidhi Saxena (director of Secret of a Mountain Serpent). Roder spoke of working with a grant of just ₹10 lakh and accepting budget constraints to pursue creativity. Saxena discussed her reliance on grants and personal resources to make experimental films without institutional backing.
Kanawade suggested that soon the distinction between “indie” and “mainstream” cinema may vanish. “Last month we saw so many films releasing theatrically and people went to watch them,” he said. “Give the film a chance.” The session resonated with the independent-film community present at DIFF, reinforcing the idea that meaningful cinema needs both freedom and audience.
