Adil Hussain-starrer ‘Pareeksha’, the latest feature film directed by veteran filmmaker Prakash Jha, will make its international premiere at the 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) in China.
The film, inspired by a true incident and shot primarily in Ranchi, also stars Priyanka Bose, Sanjay Suri and child actor Shubham Jha.
It had its world premiere in the Indian Panorama section of the 50th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last year and will have its digital premiere on ZEE5 on August 6.
Originally scheduled to take place in June, SIFF, like every other film festival in the world, had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now will be held physically from July 25 to August 2, perhaps the only major film festival to have a physical edition this year.
Pareeksha, which will have three screenings at SIFF on July 26, July 28 and August 1, will have its UK premiere at the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF).
Written, directed and produced by Jha, the film makes a sharp comment on the Indian education system. It is based on a real experience of former Bihar DGP Abhayanand.
Adil Hussain has given a sensitive performance as a rickshaw-puller in Ranchi whose sole aim in life is to enroll his only son in a premier school of the city.
“It’s a great honour for our film, Pareeksha to have its international premiere at one of the biggest and most prestigious film festivals in Asia. We are delighted that the festival is taking place physically and our film will actually be screened in theatres,” Jha, who has made many critically and commercially-successful films in last four decades, said in a statement about the SIFF selection.
