Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s Dear Maa screens at Pune International Film Festival

A special screening of Dear Maa by filmmaker Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury drew an emotional response from cinephiles at the Pune International Film Festival, held from January 15 to 22. The film was showcased in the Indian section, with the director in attendance. The screening saw a full house, comprising film lovers, students and the city’s Bengali audience. Speaking about the experience, Aniruddha said, “I had a terrific screening, it was a full house. People loved it and were very emotional after watching the film. A lot of professional women came, and since the film deals with adoption, it resonated deeply. I really love it when a film connects with the national audience and a kind of symbiotic relationship develops. When you see moist eyes in the auditorium, you feel so overwhelmed. We make films for that , for that reverberation with the audience.” Released in 2025, Dear Ma marks the Aniruddha’s return to Bengali cinema after a decade. The film explores themes of motherhood, love and identity through the journey of a career-driven woman who adopts a child. Jaya Ahsan leads the cast, alongside Chandan Roy Sanyal, Saswata Chatterjee and Dhritiman Chatterjee.