Filmmaker Indira Dhar’s award-winning debut feature Putul has been officially acquired by Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The film will soon be available for audiences worldwide on Waves OTT, marking a major milestone in the journey of a homegrown independent Bengali feature that has steadily earned global acclaim.
The announcement comes as Putul recently screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025, where it was selected for a special showcase.
Putul, which first garnered international attention at the 77th Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film in 2024 where it received a standing ovation, chronicles the everyday realities of street children while interrogating the social hypocrisies that surround them.
Earlier this year, the film made waves on the global stage by featuring in the Oscars’ longlist for Best Picture. It was also the only Bengali film to make the cut, with its song Iti Maa, composed by Sayan Ganguly and sung by Iman Chakraborty, selected in the Best Original Song category.
Speaking on the acquisition, Indira Dhar shared: “For a debut film that started as a very personal story rooted in my own city, this truly feels like a milestone moment. Having Putul acquired by Prasar Bharati and reaching a global audience through Waves OTT is something I’m very grateful for. From Cannes to the Oscars longlist to now IFFI, the film has travelled in ways that feel both surreal and deeply affirming. I’m grateful to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and everyone at Prasar Bharati for believing in the film and giving it a platform worthy of its spirit.”
Putul continues to reinforce Indira Dhar’s place as one of the most exciting and emotionally intuitive new voices in Indian cinema.
Indira’s Bollywood debut feature, Echoes of Valour, headlined by Divya Dutta and Neeraj Kabi, also made international headlines this year. After its first look launch at the Cannes Film Festival’s India Pavilion, the film held a closed-door screening at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, further cementing Dhar’s position as a formidable filmmaker with a distinctive global sensibility.
