Survival thriller ‘Joram’ starring Manoj Bajpayee and Zeeshan Ayyub will have its world premiere in the Big Screen Competition section of the 52nd International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). The film festival will take place from January 26 to February 6 in the Netherlands.
According to the film’s logline, ‘Joram’ tells the story of a distraught father who must be on the run with his little girl halfway across the country to escape the ghosts of his past and the forces that want to kill him at any cost. Directed by Devashish Makhija, the film marks the third collaboration between the director and Manoj Bajpayee after their short film ‘Tandav’ and the 2020 feature film ‘Bhonsle’, for which ‘The Family Man’ star won the National Award for Best Actor.
Of their creative partnership, Bajpayee said, “I always remain very proud of my artistically fulfilling relationship with them.”
Set in Jharkhand and Mumbai, ‘Joram’ is also Makhija’s third film to be screened at the Rotterdam festival after ‘Ajji’ and ‘Bhonsle’.
Talking about his experience, Bajpayee said, “It’s a gripping story of a man torn between his past and his present. I loved playing the complex character of Darsu, who looks like an ordinary man on the outside, who might not even be noticed by people.” but he is by no means an ordinary person. A brilliant story with such compelling characters!”
Makhija said the film bridges the gap between art cinema and the mainstream. According to him, the line dividing the two currents of filmmaking is constantly changing rapidly. He said: “In its vision and creation, our film sought to bridge this ever-changing gap between art film and mainstream, hopefully pulling in the best of both.”
The film also stars Zeeshan Ayyub, Smita Tambe and Megha Mathur and features guest appearances by Tannishtha Chatterjee and Rajshri Deshpande.
Speaking about his role, Ayyub said, “I play Ratnakar, a city-bred cop who is low on the social ladder and hence among his colleagues. Being a city-bred myself, this film for me, especially my first one… when I ever ventured into the forests to shoot it and iron ore mines, I realized how much “I” there was in Ratnakar—that my access to education and middle-class angst were luxuries compared to the bleak, austere, eternal—on-the- edge lives a truly disadvantaged life on a daily basis.”
Presented by Zee Studios, ‘Joram’ will release in India next year.
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