Manoj Bajpayee's 'The Fable' only film from India this year to compete in Encounters segment of Berlinale 2024

Manoj Bajpayee-starrer “The Fable“, directed by Raam Reddy, is the only film from India this year to compete in one of the key categories at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The film, a follow up to Reddy’s celebrated debut “Thithi“, will premiere at the 74th edition of the festival in the Encounters Competition segment, which also features 14 other titles from around the globe.

A US-Indian co-production, “The Fable” also stars Deepak Dobriyal, Priyanka Bose, Tillotama Shome, Hiral Sidhu and child actor Awan Pookot.

Manoj Bajpayee shared, “Joining the cast of ‘The Fable’ has been a remarkable experience. Working with a creative mind like Raam Reddy and participating in an A-festival backed by an international production house for the first time has been incredibly inspiring. Our film’s presence at Berlinale signifies the global reach and artistic caliber of Indian storytelling.”

Raam Reddy, the film’s writer and director, expressed his views: “The Fable is not just a film but an unadulterated piece of my soul. I feel fortunate for many things: being able to collaborate with Manoj ji’s brilliance and such a wonderful cast, premiering in a competitive section of Berlinale, having global backing for the film. But most importantly, for the opportunity to tell this story exactly as I envisioned.”

The film is backed by veteran producer Sunmim Park, the producer of the global Hollywood hit ‘The Others‘ starring Nicole Kidman, and many other noteworthy international breakouts.

Raam Reddy’s first feature film, Thithi, was both a critical and commercial success, winning over 20 International Awards, running for close to 100 days in theatres, and securing worldwide rights with Netflix.

The last Indian film in Encounters Competition was The Shepherdess and The Seven Songs in 2020. There has been no Indian film in Main Competition since Shelter of the Wings directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta in 1994.

With added inputs from agencies