Anurag Kashyap to produce Cannes La Fabrique supported project Eka

Anurag Kashyap has come onboard to produce Indian filmmaker Suman Sen’s directorial debut Eka (Solo) under his banner Good Bad Films. Set in Kolkata, the project is currently at the scripting stage.

Eka was selected as one of the participants at La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut Français 2021, a tailored program helping talented young directors from emerging countries increase their international exposure, as part of the Cannes Film Festival.

The revolves around Biplab, a 56-year-old long-term diabetic insurance agent, who sees a huge human toe of a massive under-construction statue in the middle of the main city square every morning on his way to his office in a crowded bus. Fully covered in blue tarpaulin, the statue is supposed to represent the Common Man. The city is keenly waiting for the President to inaugurate the monumental statue.

When everything starts going wrong in his life, the feeling that he failed his loved ones the same way society is failing him grows stronger. His guilt transforms into anger and he finds himself giving birth to a mass revolt in his own city. His resistance gives rise to a powerful worldwide movement.

Aside from Kashyap, France’s Dominique Welinski (House of my Fathers) is also attached to produce via outfit DW, as are Bangladesh’s Arifur Rahman and Bijon Imtiaz through their company Goopy Bagha Productions (Kingdom of Clay Subjects).

“It is a joy to find something where you can actually collaborate — the power of the idea, the script, and that filmmakers from France and Bangladesh and India can come together and make the film makes me very happy to come aboard. I am very happy to be able to see this film happen,” Kashyap told Variety.

“This is really a special moment and undoubtedly the pinnacle of our journey so far. I am glad that the story has connected so many people from across the world. Anurag’s presence will give an impetus to kick off our next level of production and help us while mounting the film on the desired canvas,” said Sen.

Eka, which has previously participated in the Film Bazaar, Goa, in 2019 and at Torino Next in 2020, is set to begin filming in mid-2022.