Jatla Siddartha's 'In the Belly of a Tiger' wins 2024 Feature Fiction Award at Adelaide Film Festival

Winner of the 2024 Feature Fiction Award at the Adelaide Film Festival, director Jatla Siddartha's film In the Belly of a Tiger explores themes of rural poverty, debt, capitalist exploitation, and more in an Indian village. In an interview with SBS Hindi, he discusses the inspiration behind the story of an elderly poor couple, their struggles, and the tough choices they must make.

Still from the film, 'In the Belly of a Tiger' Credit: Against The Grain/Adelaide Film Festival

This multinational production narrates the story of an elderly farmer and his family who return to their village after attempting to earn a living in the city, only to find it impoverished and dominated by exploitative employers—and haunted by a hungry tiger.

A still from the film ' In The Belly of a Tiger'

The film juxtaposes complex situations, emotions, and the abuse of power, using the spiritual beliefs of Indian mythology to reinforce themes of hope and love.

Jatla's first short film, The Artist, premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2012, while his debut feature, Love and Shukla (2017), which explores the invisible struggle for privacy among India’s urban lower middle class, also premiered at the Busan IFF.

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