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Poster by "Hello Arsi" by Indian director Sambit Mohanti. The film is in competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) 2018, in Estonia. Vedamata Productions

Presented in international premiere and in official competition at the 22nd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), in Estonia, Hello Arsi is an exceptional road movie. The action takes place largely in a car from the beginning to the end of this first feature film by Indian director Sambit Mohanti, who died suddenly after the shooting. This fiction is the chronicle of a day in the life of a woman and a man who have just met and, through them, the portrait of a society in constant evolution, as explained by its producer Ajaya Routray . Interview.

RFI: Ajaya Routray, you come from Odisha, formerly known as Orissa, a coastal state of eastern India and you are producer of Hello Arsi . How was this film born?

Ajaya Routray: In 2016, the director Sambit Mohanty came to present me his first feature film project. I read the script and I immediately agreed to produce it, because the story touched my heart. I was determined to make this film, regardless of whether it later proved to be a failure or a success. Finally, we won three national awards in India on May 3, 2018, best film, best dialogue and best actress.

What touched you in the Hello Arsi script ?

The first scene shows a woman and a man lying side by side. Who are they and how do they know each other? There is no clear answer and that is what makes the story interesting.

The two main roles are held by professionals. The actress Prakruti Mishra plays the character of Arsi and the actor Parthasarathi Ray embodies that of his partner.

I also like the original side of the film: the scenes take place in a car from beginning to end. There is no camera movement, only the background moves. This is a new concept both in India and around the world. I have never seen this elsewhere. But it is also a risky challenge that we have noted: as the action takes place all the time in a car, we did not know how the spectators could react.

Ajaya Routray, Indian producer of the movie "Hello Arsi", competing at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) 2018, in Estonia. Kèoprasith Souvannavong / RFI

Director Sambit Mohanty died suddenly in 2017 after filming. What message did he want to convey through this film ?

Hello Arsi is the chronicle of a day in the life of a woman and a man, two young foreigners who have just met on a fast track and who share a piece of road. They talk about everything and nothing. Things get complicated when they talk about their feelings.

The film is a portrait of a society in constant evolution. Socio-economic changes are occurring at such a rapid pace in India and around the world. Technological progress isolates the human being. In this modern world full of loneliness, we often hear the sounds of nature, as is the case with Hello Arsi , but we rarely see this nature. The forests of yesteryear are being replaced by endless factories and highways.

Trailer of the movie "Hello Arsi", in competition at the 22nd Tallinn PÖFF

► The 22nd Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) runs until 2 December 2018

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