In 2017, Prantik Basu made
Sakhisona, a black-and-white film woven around a folk tale, featuring members of the Manbhum Sramjibi Chhau Dance group. The experimental short won a Tiger Award at the prestigious International Film Festival of Rotterdam in 2017. Basu will return to Rotterdam in June with his enchanting new documentary
Bela, which once again features members of the Manbhum Sramjibi Chhau group.
Bela was premiered at the Swiss festival Visions Du Reel (April 15-25). The title derives both from the village in Bengal where the dancers live and from the Bengali word for time, which the film explores in imaginative ways.