Masaan, Chauthi Koot make it to Cannes Film Festival

Gurvinder Singh's Punjabi film 'Chauthi Koot' and Neeraj Ghaywan's debut feature 'Masaan' are among the Indian films that have been chosen to be screened in the official UnCertain Regard section of the 68th edition of the Cannes International Film Festival. The announcement was made in Cannes on Thursday.

Punjabi film Chauthi Koot (The Fourth Direction) is based on two short stories by Punjabi writer Waryam Singh Sandhu, titled Chauthi Koot and Hunn Main Theek Haan. The story is set in Punjab against the backdrop of the Sikh separatist movement in the ‘80s.

Varun Grover, who co-wrote Masaan with Ghaywan said: “Masaan, set in Varanasi, revolves around four key characters, that of a young orphan, a low-caste teenage boy, a girl and her father as they attempt to fight against the morality and traditions typical of the small town they live in”.

While 'Masaan' is a debut feature by Ghaywan, and stars Richa Chadda in a key role, Punjabi film 'Chauthi Koot' (The Fourth Direction) is based on Warvan Singh Sandhu's eponymous collection of short stories.