Rahul Roy’s Agra to premiere at Cannes, 2nd Indian film at prestigious festival this year after Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy

Agra, starring Rahul Roy, will have its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival next month. Written and directed by Kanu Behl, the Hindi film is produced by Saregama India Ltd, UFO Production, and O28 Films. It becomes the second Indian film named for the prestigious French festival after Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy starring Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone. Cannes will be held from May 16 to May 27, 2023. (Also read: Rahul Roy opens up about returning to films after suffering brain stroke in 2020: ‘It was challenging to shoot’)

Beside Rahul, Agra also stars Priyanka Bose, who was seen in the Oscar-nominee Lion, newcomer Mohit Agarwal, and Ruhani Sharma. Veteran actors Vibha Chibber, Sonal Jha and Aanchal Goswami also have key roles in the feature film. Written by Kanu and Atika Chohan, Agra is an exploration of sexual dynamics within a family. The film will look at the deep dystopian fractures created in a modern India fast shrinking into pigeon-holed spaces.

In a statement, Rahul shared, “I was so excited when I read the script of Agra because it spoke about things that had been knots within me for years. As we filmed it and I lived each day with my character, I burned and exhumed those knots and the journey became a transformative experience. I’m so excited to share this special film with the world.” The actor suffered from a brain stroke in 2020 and will be making a comeback with the upcoming film.

Writer-director Kanu added, “Agra has been a deeply personal and difficult exploration for me, a deep dive into the inner entrails of desire and male sexual repression, and an attempt to understand the hoodoo. I’m overjoyed that the film is beginning its journey at Director’s Fortnight and I hope it opens a conversation around sexuality and the ‘homes’ we choose to live in, as it reaches a wider audience.”

This is the director’s second film to premiere at Cannes; his debut film Titli premiered in the Un Certain Regard section in 2014. Agra is the only Indian film selected for the Directors’ Fortnight. The section highlights independent films from the world and is a free-spirited, non-competitive selection open to all festival goers. Cedric Kahn’s The Goldman’s Case is the opening film, while Hong Sang-soo’s In Our Day will close the section.

Agra was developed at PJLF Three Rivers residency program – in Italy, with the prestigious ‘Cinema du Monde’ film fund backing it. It was also part of the FBR section of the Viewing Room at NFDC’s Film Bazaar in 2022.