‘Wade’ director Upamanyu Bhattacharyya announces new animated feature, ‘Heirloom’

Upamanyu Bhattacharyya

Ghost Animation’s Upamanyu Bhattacharyya is now trying hands on a full-length animated feature film. An Annecy awardee for their animated short, Wade, Bhattacharyya took to social media to announce his new project, Heirloom

“An intimate family tale spanning 50 years, Heirloom tells the story of Sonal, an ambitious teacher-turned-textile mill owner trying to outgrow her poor beginnings in the midst of a booming textile industry in Ahmedabad. A mysterious disease that only affects poor people, her repeatedly reincarnating husband, her increasingly antagonistic daughter who practices law, the arrival of a distantly related orphan and an omnipresent old lady who lives on her terrace mould Sonal’s quest to become much more than she was born to be,” Bhattacharyya shared with Animation Xpress.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Upamanyu Bhattacharyya (@upamanyubhattacharyya)

Presented by Otter Studios, the film is in pre-production stage, and the status of co-producing studios for the animated film is still being determined. Bhattacharyya is serving as the writer-director.

Additionally, Heirloom has been officially selected for a development residency hosted by Annecy Festival and CITIA. This comes after his climatic dystopia, Wade (co-directed with Kalp Sanghvi) has been included among ‘Best of Annecy’ Programme.  

Still from Heirloom – Image exclusively shared with ANX by Bhattacharyya

Commenting on the Annecy selection for Heirloom, Bhattacharyya added,  “It’s very encouraging to be included in the list of films being incubated at Annecy next year [2021]. I’m looking forward to working with and learning from the directors of the other two selected projects, and am very eager to bring the story of Heirloom to everyone soon.”

Bhattacharyya is also working on animated short, Ten, inspired by Jogindranath Sarkar’s Bengali poem Haradhaner Dawsh-ti Chhele [Haradhan and his 10 Sons].

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Upamanyu Bhattacharyya (@upamanyubhattacharyya)