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Anupria Goenka At Cannes Promote Bombay Stories
Anupria Goenka heads to Cannes to promote her film Bombay Stories at the Marche du Film
Anupria Goenka is heading to the ongoing Cannes Film Festival 2026 with her film Bombay Stories, which will be showcased at the prestigious Marche du Film (Cannes Film Market). Directed by Rahhat Shah Kazmi, the film is based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s Hatak, a part of his seminal collection of short stories of the same name. It marks the actress’ first independent film. The film explores the lives of sex workers through a satirical lens and it also features Mouni Roy and Sushmiita Singh.
Talking about the film, Anupria says, “I have always wanted to do independent cinema and am so glad, am portraying a character written by Manto, in my first. Hatak means insult and my story is about Saugandhi’s journey navigating her own self through the society’s scrutiny towards her. Elaborating on the character she says “Saugandhi being a sex worker has resigned to that life. But she craves love, appreciation, and the feeling of being made to feel like a woman by a man, and not just be treated like a sexual object.” She adds, “I found so much of me in her and explored so many other shades of me as a woman through Saugandhi.”
This opportunity of being at Cannes comes with a sense of gratitude and responsibility for Anupria, and she acknowledges it. “My belief is that as long as someone wants to sell their body and has the agency to do that, it’s absolutely their choice. It’s like any other profession. It becomes a sin and is abhorring when one is forced into the system against their choice, when they don’t have any legal rights or are dehumanized and looked upon like object. This then needs to be stopped at all costs. It also takes away the respect that the profession deserves, and through the film the team wants to shed light on the discrimination, sex workers face and mirror the reality of the society.” she shares, adding, “We hope that the message gets across to everyone who watches the film.
