The hard-hitting social drama 'The Rapist,' directed by filmmaker Aparna Sen, was named a co-winner of the Kim Jiseok Award at the 26th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which concluded yesterday. The film, starring actress Konkona Sen Sharma, had its world debut on October 7 in the festival's 'A Window On Asian Cinema' section.
The film has been described as a riveting Indian social drama about a middle-class academic who wants her rapist, with whom she has gotten pregnant and who has been condemned to death, to tell her why he did such a crime.
‘The Rapist’, whose highlight is a standout performance by Sharma, is said to be a very moving portrayal of human pain and an astute study of the societal and cultural elements that contribute to India's terrible incidence of sexual assault.
In addition, producer Sameer Nair backed the film from Applause Entertainment, which was previously responsible for the critically acclaimed OTT series 'Scam 1992.' Actor Tanmay Dhanania plays the rapist in the film. The prize was split by 'The Rapist' and Filipino filmmaker Brilliante Mendoza's boxing thriller, 'Gensan Punch.' The Chinese movie 'Farewell, My Home Town' (director Wang Er Zhuo) and the South Korean feature 'The Apartment With Two Women' (director Kim Se-in) won the 'New Currents Section'.
