Devashish Makhija’s survival thriller “Joram,” which is playing at the Busan International Film Festival, will be released theatrically worldwide by Zee Studios in December.
The film, which premiered at Rotterdam earlier this year, is in Busan’s A Window on Asian Cinema strand. Eminent actorManoj Bajpayee, who previously starred in Makhija’s 2016 short “Taandav” and played the title role in “Bhonsle,” plays Dasru, a tribal migrant worker in Mumbai whose past catches up with him and he must flee with his infant daughter Joram. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub (Netflix film “Jogi,” ZEE5 series “Bloody Brothers”) plays a weary Mumbai cop in pursuit of Dasru. Also in the mix is a sinister tribal lawmaker, played by Smita Tambe (Netflix series “Sacred Games”). Acclaimed actors Tannishtha Chatterjee (Busan winner “Roam Rome Mein”) and Rajshri Deshpande (Netflix series “Trial by Fire”) have special appearances in the film.
The film is produced by Zee Studios and Makhijafilm. Zee Studios is enjoying an exceptional 2023 in both art and commerce aspects. Festival playdates for “Joram” also include Sydney, Edinburgh and Durban, where Bajpayee won best actor and Piyush Puty best cinematography, with Chicago next. The studio’s “Kennedy,” directed by Anurag Kashyap, bowed at Cannes and is on an extended festival run with next playdates IFFSA Toronto and the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Ashish Bende’s “Aatmapamphlet” and series “Brown,” headlined by Karisma Kapoor, debuted at the Berlinale. And “Gadar 2,” starring Sunny Deol, is one of the biggest Indian box office hits of the year.
Makhija said, “Although it’s our third collaboration, ‘Joram’ will be the first time Manoj and I see a theatrical release together. For Anupama Bose and myself at Makhijafilm this will be an incredible culmination of a most incredible journey for our first production. ‘Joram’ has screened at the top festivals on each and every continent in under a year, in the main competition in most of them. To now give a release worldwide in theatres for our labor-of-endless-love vindicates the immense faith and stamina and rigour Zee Studios has shown in ‘Joram’. We cannot wait to hear what the audiences have to say.”
Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, senior VP and head of content at Zee Studios, added, “’Joram’ is an important film and after getting so much appreciation from festival audiences across continents, including here in Busan, we are really excited to bring it to theaters globally. We have planned on a very strategic theatrical release after understanding and mapping the audiences and we are very hopeful that this survival thriller will truly resonate with a wider audience.”
Bajpayee said, “I am excited about ‘Joram’ and the recognition it has received at prestigious international film festivals. We are bringing this compelling story to cinemas worldwide on December 8, 2023. The journey of this film from the international stage to the big screen underscores its universal and timeless themes. I can’t wait to share this profound story with a global audience and hope it echoes with people from various backgrounds and cultures.”
