Rasika Dugal's first short film as lead titled 'Kshay' is to be screened at the Bandra Film Festival this week. The actress recalls the day she shot for the film. The 1 hour 32 minute indie film revolves around Chhaya (Rasika Dugal) who gets enamoured by a white statue of goddess Laxmi and wants to have it at any cost. Her husband, who is struggling to make ends meet, agrees to get it once he has money. Soon, however, her desire takes an obsessive turn to disastrous consequences. Rasika Dugal: If You’re Invested in Your Work, Audience Will Be Invested in Your Story.

Rasika said, "I am so happy with the love this film has received over the years. Kshay was shot on a shoestring budget over weekends with a four-member crew. We travelled to set on Karan's (Karan Gour director) bike, did our own make up and finally dubbed the film in a two-bedroom house at midnight to avoid traffic noise." Hamid Movie Review: Rasika Dugal’s Affecting Performance Enriches This Moving Tale Set in Strife-Torn Kashmir.

She added, "Kshay was my first film in a lead part and the experience of being Chhaya in a character driven script was a treat for an actor. With Kshay, I received appreciation for my performance from critics in different parts of the world when the film travelled to film festivals and also on its release in India. It was very encouraging to have my work reviewed like that. It made me believe that there is a pay off to brave decisions, hard work and believing in what you are doing when most others didn't. I am delighted the film is part of this film festival and I hope through BFF's platform more people will know about it."

Apart from 'Kshay', the line-up that will be screened on October 4, also includes two more films - 'Khyanikaa' and 'Naach Ganesh'. 'Khyanikaa' directed by Amartya Bhattacharyya , is a fantasy driven tale of two men, a poet and a painter, claiming possession over the same idea, in a rural setup portrayed as a wonderland. It stars Amartya Bhattacharyya, Choudhury Jayaprakash Das and Chaitali Gharami.

The next title is 'Naach Ganesh', a short drama directed by Bikas Mishra, a story about a tribal dancer who has to choose between survival and preserving his family tradition of ritual Ganesh dancing. The film also stars Hemant Mahto, Aganu Kumar and Balram Mahto. Bandra Film Festival (BFF) is a digital film festival presented by Filmkaravan in collaboration with YouTube with an aim to provide a solid platform that helps lesser known films and filmmakers reach a wider audience virtually.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 29, 2021 08:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).