Aparna Sen’s The Rapist premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala on March 19, 2022. It is produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Quest Films Pvt. Ltd. The Rapist has been on a remarkable journey, with the film having its World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award.
The film deals with the complex themes of crime, punishment and restorative justice through the prism of class dynamics. It chronicles the journey of three protagonists and how their lives get entwined because of one horrific incident. The film is an unflinching, uncompromising portrait of sexual violence, its aftermath, and the socio-psychological fallout for both the survivors and perpetrators of the crime.
The Rapist marks the collaboration of mother-daughter duo of Aparna Sen and Konkona Sen Sharma. It also stars Arjun Rampal and Tanmay Dhanania in lead roles. The Rapist received rave reviews at the festival with several critics calling it one of Aparna Sen’s finest works.
Applause Entertainment is a leading Content & IP Creation Studio with a focus on premium drama series, movies, documentaries and animation content. A venture of the Aditya Birla Group, led by media veteran Sameer Nair, the studio has produced and released popular series across genres and languages which includes shows like Criminal Justice, Scam 1992, Hostages among others.
The International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is a film festival held annually in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. This film festival started in 1996 and is hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. This festival is acknowledged as one of the leading cultural events in India.