Amartya Bhattacharya’s ‘Son of Adam’ gets prestigious award at the Madrid Film Festival – GetBengal story

A still from the film 'Son of Adams'

Bengali cinema shines once again as 'Son of Adam,' directed by Amartya Bhattacharyya, claims the coveted ‘Best Musical Film’ award at the Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid 2024 (FICIMAD 2024). The award ceremony, held at La Filmoteca Española (Cine Doré) in Madrid, Spain, celebrated the film's exceptional storytelling and musical composition. In the official magazine of the festival, director Amartya Bhattacharyya was praised for his visionary work.

Director Amartya Bhattacharyya

The magazine writes “Amartya Bhattacharyya makes a heterogeneous, omnivorous film that can be broken down into independent parts thinking about the wonderful songs of the iconic singer Rupam Islam, but that is best viewed from a distance, admiring the whole. From a bird's eye view, Amartya Bhattacharyya's megalomaniacal project could be infinite and universal: since he decides to explain all the Indian history and mythology, everything can fit inside, all the stories, all the lives. With a low-budget guerrilla filming, the ancestral dances serve as a transition between distressing reality and impotent fantasy. The sequences are pure hedonism and audiovisual pleasure, poetically bewitching us on our journey with the multifaceted Swastik Choudhury and the beautiful Priyanka Ghosh Roy.”

Amartya Bhattacharyya with Rupam Islam and Amyt Datta

'Son of Adam' is the cinematic adaptation of rock-icon and National Award winner Rupam Islam's path-breaking album 'Aami' which he released in 2020 in collaboration with guitar maestro Amyt Datta. Datta is a renowned guitarist who famously toured extensively with the rock band Shiva from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. He later played with Pinknoise, the late-night alter ego to pop/rock band Skinny Alley in the early 2000s and continued his own solo work, often in collaboration with Jivraj Singh of Parekh & Singh. His most recent album The Red Plant was released on 10th December, 2021. He started taking western music theory lessons from the legendary Carlton Kitto. In 2011, Amyt Datta appeared as a guitarist in a Bengali rock musical movie Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona directed by Anjan Dutt. In 2019, he appeared in If Not for You,a documentary about Kolkata's long lasting love affair with legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

The film has been written and directed by filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharyya, also a national award winner whose earlier films like Adieu Godard, Runanubandha, and Khyanikaa have been critically acclaimed and awarded. Son of Adam is produced by actor/producer Swastik Choudhury, under the banner of Swastik Arthouse in association with FilmStop Entertainment.The film features Swastik Choudhury in the lead role, with Priyanka Ghosh Roy as the female lead. Notably, Rupam Islam and Amyt Datta make intriguing cameo appearances at a pivotal moment in the film.

The film had its world premiere last December at the 77th International Film Festival of Salerno in Italy, one of the oldest film festivals in the world. Later this month Son of Adam will premiere in South America at the San Antonio Independent Film Festival 2024 in Ecuador. It's the only Asian Film in Feature Fiction Competition and is the only Indian film at the festival. Rupam Islam, the presenter and inspiration behind the film, said:“I am not surprised at all. I chose to present the film as the subject is very dear to me, and the way the film has been conceptualised, thoroughly justifies the visualisation of the songs in the album. I feel the film has the potential to win several more awards. I extend my congratulations and best wishes to everyone who has been a part of this film.”Rupam Islam happens to be the lead vocalist of the popular Bengali Rock Band ‘fossils’. Islam gained popularity mainly through his solo albums and his works as a member of Fossils. He has worked as a playback singer, music director, and lyricist in numerous Bengali films and has also lent his voice for Hindi and Telugu films. He has sung for various Bengali television soaps, web series and advertisements. In 2010, he won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his work in the Bengali film Mahanagar@Kolkata. 

Director Amartya Bhattacharyya told GB: “This is the first award for ‘Son of Adam,’ and what better way to start than an award for Best Musical Film. This film is an attempt to adapt a musical album into cinema, and I'm so happy that our efforts are getting acknowledgement at the global platform.” Lead actor and Producer Swastik Choudhury, was visibly excited. “This award validates the cinematic vision of this film and is a testimony to the power of music. Rupam da is a magician who can mesmerise people from across the spectrum. It is indeed an honour to get this opportunity to collaborate with him through such a beautiful film.”