Anurag Kashyap & Nagraj Manjule to release the much-acclaimed Kastoori in Theaters on November 3

New Delhi, October 26, 2023: After winning hearts at film festivals all over the world, Kastoori (The Musk) is all set to release in India on 3 November by Cinepolis Distribution team. The makers of the movie, directed by filmmaker Vinod Kamble, have unveiled its first look with an exclusive poster, aptly showcasing the theme of the movie.

For its extraordinary story-telling style, direction and portrayal, Kastoori (The Musk) has been the recipient of prestigious awards like Best Children’s Film Award & Swarna Kamal at the 67th National Film Awards 2019, FIPRESCI Special Jury Mention at Aurangabad International Film Festival 2020, and Best Actor Award – Samarth Sonawane at Aurangabad International Film Festival 2020. The movie has also been nominated for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Child Actor at New York Indian Film Festival.

The significant relevance of the movie is depicted by the fact that two stalwarts in the industry – Anurag Kashyap and Nagraj PopatraoManjule – have come together to present an offbeat movie with a unique and impactful storyline.

Anurag Kashyap, Filmmaker and Actor said, “Kastoori is an important film of our times. It’s a kind of a story which very few filmmakers can tell well. Vinod is a director who understands the world well and thus has made a beautiful film around a heart breaking story. That’s what brought me and Nagraj to together present it to the world. We are sure that the audience will love the film as much as we did”.

Kastoori (The Musk) unwinds the story of a 14-year-old boy, who is engaged in manual scavenging and post-mortem and is prejudiced and teased for the smell of his body. The storyline of the movie stupendously depicts how the young boy comes across the scent of Kastoori and struggles for education and discovery of self.

Filmmaker Nagraj Popatrao Manjule mentioned “Kastoori is a real story being told by a filmmaker who knows the circumstances and the difficulties faced by the kids of manual scavengers. He’s made such a good film around it and won a National Award for it. Anurag and I are sure that the story will resonate with every viewers”.

Director of Kastoori Vinod Uttreshwar Kamble made his first short film Grahan in 2015 for which he won BEST PROMOTION SHORT FILM 2016 in My Mumbai Short Film Festival 2016. His second short film is Post Mortem, which was selected for the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner in 2017. His latest release, Kastoori, has been premiered at several national and international film festivals like MAMI International Film Festival, Dharamshala International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, Smile Foundations’ SIFFCY Film Festival New Delhi, Orange City International Film festival Nagpur, Indo German Film Week, Berlin and London Indian Film Festival, to name a few.

“I was very much influenced by the thought of Buddha “अत्तदीपभव:” and with that as the center I wrote story of the film. Kastoori is about self-discovery and I have experienced it very closely and I am very happy that Anurag sir and Nagraj sir liked the movie,” noted Vinod Kamble.

The significance of a movie like Kastoori gets highlighted by the fact that how such a small film from Solapur has been able to get national attention. Also, eight ladies from non-film background came together to produce the film and so far it has been selected at 13 International Film Festivals. The current IMDB rating of Kastoori stands at an impressive 9.3. From 3 November, Kastoori will be available on both theaters and OTT platforms.

“When Vinod narrated us the screenplay we thought that this heart-wrecking story should be presented to the audience. We are sure that after watching this movie, people will start respecting safai karmcharis (manual scavengers) and will see them with a positive outlook,” said Dr. Payal Dhoke, Co-producer, Insight Films.