KOLKATA: Actor Paoli Dam, who has won adulation for her role in 'Halkaa', which is a winner at the Montreal Film Festival, is eager that the flick is released commercially in the country.
'Halkaa' is made by 'I am Kalam' director Nila Madhab Panda.
It is about a child's dream to make a toilet of his own in a slum and takes up the issue of open defecation in slums.
The film bagged the 'Grand Prix de Montreal' award at the 21st 'Festival International du Film pour Enfants de Montreal Film festival (FIFEM)' earlier this month.
"There is now a new breed of directors who are making such films in mainstream format in both Hindi and Bengali and tackling important social issues. We had shot in real time locations," Paoli told PTI.
Gushing over how she got fan messages on her Twitter and Facebook accounts for her role in 'Halkaa', Paoli said, "Indians abroad liked the film and are posting comments on my (FB and Twitter) accounts and those of co-actor Ranvir Shorey and director Nila Madhab Panda.
"How I wish the film could have been watched by the audience in my own country. I hope 'Halkaa' will be released soon," she said at the announcement party of a Bengali film 'Kantho'.
Paoli said her role in 'Kantho', being made and produced by the director-duo Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee and presented by a leading jewellery group, contained an important message for contemporary times in a "very very mainstream, commercial approach.
'Kantho' revolves around a laryngeal cancer survivor, who not only wins the battle of life but also embarks on a new journey soon after.
'Kantho', she said, will be her first project with the director duo.
"I like their (Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee) craft of film making, their narration. While dealing with serious subjects they make the packaging in a way that it can be relatable with the audience."
Asked if she believed in re-inventing herself, Paoli said, "I am always on the lookout for different types of roles, different types of characters, films having different tastes. I had never opted for the run of the mill - I try to break the set pattern of characters and roles to bridge the gap with the audience. You can say I am being selective - subjectwise and filmwise," she said.
"After working in the industry for 14 years, I am faced with the question - what next and why next? I think it is very important for me to be associated with a film like Kantho, I am associated with the message," she added.
Paoli, who is also doing 'Ahare Mon' by Pratim D Gupta, said it was an unconventional love story where four stories ran parallely.