New Delhi: Actor Tillotama Shome’s Bengali film Baksho Bondi will serve as the opening at the 2025 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).
The film, co-produced by Shome and actor Jim Sarbh, will have its official Australian premiere August 14, setting the stage for the 16th edition of the festival.
Directed by first-time filmmakers Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, the film is set in a Kolkata suburb and follows Maya, played by Shome, a working woman whose story unfolds through moments of quiet strength and resilience.
The movie, titled Shadowbox in English, had its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. It is a co-production between India, France, the US and Spain.
“‘Baksho Bondi’ is incredibly close to my heart. Playing Maya was a lesson in listening to silences, in discovering strength in small acts, and in understanding how quiet resilience shapes women’s lives in a world that often overlooks them.
“After Berlin, bringing Maya’s story to Melbourne feels special… because of the incredible strength and spirit of inclusion that radiates from Mitu, the festival director of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. This film is a love letter to working women, to dusty afternoons in Barrackpore and to the courage that quietly persists even when no one is watching,” Shome said in a statement.
Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange praised the film as a “tender, honest, and visually stunning” work.
“We are honoured to open IFFM 2025 with Baksho Bondi, a film that exemplifies the strength of Indian independent cinema while touching on themes that are deeply personal and globally relatable. Tillotama Shome’s performance as Maya is nothing short of extraordinary…
“It is exactly the kind of cinema we are proud to showcase at IFFM, and we are excited for Australian audiences to experience this gem on our Opening Night,” she said.
Backed by the Victorian Government, IFFM 2025 will run from August 14 to 24. The IFFM Awards Night, celebrating excellence across film and OTT, will take place August 15.
