India, Dec. 27 -- Anuparna Roy made history at the prestigious Venice Film Festival this year by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win the Best Director award for her directorial debut, Songs of Forgotten Trees. In an exclusive interaction with HT at the recently concluded International Film Festival of Kerala, where her film also premiered, the writer-director talked about the film's reception in India, and how she is hopeful about the future in Indian cinema.

The director attended the festival with one of the film's actors, Sumi Baghel. The screening of the film began with a packed theatre, and the director sat for the chat on the sidelines, balancing a cup of coffee wrapped around her fingers. When I ask her about the experience ...