In a significant achievement for Indian cinema, Kolkata-based director Priyankar Patra's debut feature film 'Early Days (ED)' has been officially selected for the prestigious 5th Red Sea International Film Festival. The film will compete in the festival's New Visions competitive segment, marking a milestone for Kolkata's filmmaking community.
Groundbreaking Exploration of Influencer Culture
What makes this selection particularly noteworthy is that 'Early Days' represents perhaps the first film by a Kolkata director that examines social media influencing as a profession to compete at an international film festival. The Hindi-language film takes a socio-economic perspective on the challenging journey of influencers and the personal costs they incur while building their online presence.
The film features newcomers Manasi Kaushik and Sarthak Sharma in lead roles, portraying a young couple in their mid-20s who relocate to Mumbai. The narrative follows their love story as it unfolds on social media platforms and documents their lives as content creators navigating the complex world of digital influence.
Behind the Scenes of 'Early Days'
The production brings together a talented crew including editor-producer Anupam Sinha Roy, sound designer Sukrit Sen, and production designer Sayanika Mukherjee. The film is set in contemporary Mumbai and captures what the director describes as "the fragile balance between love, ambition and self-invention in a hyper-connected world."
'Early Days' is produced by For Films (India) in association with Hazelnut Media (Singapore). Executive producer Aditya Vikram Sengupta praised Patra's directorial vision, stating that the director's voice is both "distinct and urgent" and that the film captures contemporary times with "empathy and sharp observation."
Director's Personal Connection to the Subject
In an interview with TOI, director Priyankar Patra revealed the personal motivation behind making the film. His inspiration came when one of his younger cousins moved to Mumbai and shortly thereafter became a content creator. Patra admitted to initially being "judgmental towards those of the younger generation who were taking up 'influencing' as a profession."
However, his perspective shifted as he found himself surrounded by acquaintances involved in influencing. "That really helped me delve deep into the economics of it — how much do they earn, where do they get brands from, what was their first break," Patra explained. This deeper understanding allowed him to approach the subject with "a more sympathetic and lived-in look" rather than an external viewpoint.
Co-producers Isabella Sreyashii Sen and Olivier Dock emphasized that they were drawn to how 'Early Days' "interrogates the human cost of online aspiration," highlighting the film's critical examination of the personal sacrifices behind social media success.
This selection follows another achievement for Kolkata's film community, as SRFTI's Anamika Pal's 'Nipaniya' ("Dropless") was previously selected for the festival's International Shorts competition section, making the Red Sea International Film Festival a significant platform for Indian cinematic talent.
