Indian actress Tannishtha Chatterjee will star as the lead in MENA entertainment company OSN’s first original movie.
‘Yellow Bus’ is a fictional story about a six-year-old schoolgirl who dies of heat exhaustion after falling asleep in her school bus and being left behind.
Chatterjee will play the girl’s mother Ananda, who fights to get answers about her child’s death. The movie is written and directed by Wendy Bednarz and is produced by Nadia Eliewat.
Chatterjee is an Indian National Film Award winning star known for movies such as ‘Roam Rome Mein’ (which she also directed), ‘Dekh Indian Circus’, ‘Doctor Rakhmabai’ and ‘Parched’.
“I play the character Ananda in this film, a mother coming to terms with losing her child, coping with grief, and searching for the truth,” Chatterjee said in a statement. “I can’t imagine a mother going through the loss of her child, it was a very emotional role for me to immerse myself in the character. The production of the film and the atmosphere on set were a truthful reflection of the real life with its diversity of languages and accents. What unites us is more than what divides us and the theme of the film is truly universal in this regard.”
The film also stars Amit Sial as the father Gagan and Kinda Alloush as school owner Mira.
Talking about the complexity of her character, Alloush said: “When I read the script’s first 10 pages, I knew I wanted to be a part of this film. It’s a relatable story that can take place anywhere. However, Mira is a character I’ve never played before, and she has lots of layers that I got to understand as I delved deeper into the role. The character Mira intertwines with Ananda in a sense that they both explore different themes of motherhood and loss throughout the film.”
Filming for ‘Yellow Bus’ has been completed as and it is set to premiere on OSN, which offers cable TV services and online streaming, later this year after a theatrical release.
Darine ElKhatib, senior vice president — Arabic Services & Original Production at OSN, said in a statement: “We were drawn to the story as it works on many levels — it takes you on a heartbreaking roller-coaster of the mother’s desperation, while covering controversial themes and concepts that are rarely addressed in this region. Paired with the incredible writing, passionate producers and wonderful cast we can’t wait to share ‘Yellow Bus’ with OSN customers later in 2022.”
