Radhika Madan-starrer Sanaa to open UK Asian Film Festival

National Award Winning Director Sudhanshu Saria’s Sanaa starring Radhika Madan is all set to open the UK Asian Film Festival. The festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a remarkable line-up of films that centre on the British Asian experience.

The festival will take place from May 4th to May 13th, 2023, with the opening night screening of Sanaa at the BFI Southbank in London where both, the director Sudhanshu Saria and the lead actor Radhika Madan will present the film in person. Sanaa has already gained a lot of attention and critical acclaim, having world premiered at the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and had its North American premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival with overwhelming response.

The UK Asian Film Festival is organized by Tongues on Fire, a not-for-profit organization, and supported by the BFI and Arts Council England. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating Our Stories,’ with a focus on films that centre on the British Asian experience. Sanaa is a perfect fit for this theme, as it explores mental health, trauma, and how they affect us.

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Speaking about Sanaa, Director Sudhanshu Saria said, “What an honour for the entire team to launch the 25th edition of UK Asian Film Festival with our film! We are thrilled to be part of this wonderful event that has been celebrating diverse voices and helping change minds for the past 25 years. Sanaa is an intimate and raw portrait of the modern Indian woman and I can’t wait to see how it resonates with British audiences.”

Radhika Madan added, “Sanaa is a very special film for me. It’s a film that talks about unresolved trauma, something that a lot of people go through but never talk about. It was a challenging role for me, and I am so glad that it has been appreciated by audiences worldwide. I am really excited to present the film at UK Asian Film Festival and to share Sanaa with the audience there.”

Sanaa tells the story of a 28-year-old headstrong and ambitious woman working in Mumbai who is fighting an internal battle caused by unresolved trauma. The film stars Radhika Madan in the lead role, along with Soham Shah, Shikha Talsania, and Pooja Bhatt.