Manoj Bajpayee starrer The Fable is only the 2nd Indian film in last 30 years to premiere in one of the key competitive sections of the Berlinale

The Berlin Film Festival (BFF) has just announced that the Manoj Bajpayee starrer The Fable will have its World Premiere at its upcoming 74th edition in the Encounters Competition. This marks the film as only the second Indian film in the last 30 years to premiere in one of the key competitive sections of the Berlinale. The film has been highlighted by the festival with an evening premiere on the opening day, typically reserved for highly anticipated films.

The Fable is filmmaker Raam Reddy’s second feature following his multi-award-winning film Thithi, a US-Indian co-production. It features an ensemble cast, including Padma Shri and multi National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee, Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, and Tillotama Shome, along with debutant Hiral Sidhu and child actor Awan Pookot.

Manoj Bajpayee, a tour-de-force of talent, expressed his happiness on the news saying, “Joining the cast of The Fable has been a remarkable experience. Working with a creative mind like Raam Reddy and participating in an A-festival backed by an international production house for the first time has been incredibly inspiring. Our film’s presence at Berlinale signifies the global reach and artistic caliber of Indian storytelling.”

Raam Reddy, the film’s writer and director, added, “The Fable is not just a film but an unadulterated piece of my soul. I feel fortunate for many things: being able to collaborate with Manoj ji’s brilliance and such a wonderful cast, premiering in a competitive section of Berlinale, having global backing for the film. But most importantly, for the opportunity to tell this story exactly as I envisioned.”

The film is backed by veteran producer Sunmim Park, the producer of the global Hollywood hit The Others starring Nicole Kidman, and many other noteworthy international breakouts.

Raam Reddy’s first feature film, Thithi, was both a critical and commercial success, winning over 20 International Awards, running for close to 100 days in theatres, and securing worldwide rights with Netflix.

The last Indian film in Encounters Competition was The Shepherdess and The Seven Songs in 2020. There has been no Indian film in Main Competition since Shelter of the Wings directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta in 1994.

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