Bollywood filmmaker Prakash Jha-starrer film ‘Matto Ki Saikal’ is all set to screen at the 17th Annual South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) in New York, PTI reported.

The annual festival, presented by HBO, which is scheduled to be held from December 16 to 20, will go virtual this year due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the US.

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‘Matto Ki Saikal’ had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in October, where it was showcased in the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ section.

Sharing the news on Twitter, Jha wrote, “Matto rides his bicycle to New York! After the World Premiere at Busan, “Matto Ki Saikil” to have it’s US Premiere at SAIFF!! Screening on Dec.17th!!”

Described as a story of hope, the film stars Jha as Matto, a daily wage earner, whose family want to buy him a cycle for his daily commute. It has been produced by debutante producer Sudhirbhai Mishra. 

“I was quite moved by the story of Matto. It is a simple story which beautifully reveals the complex layers of the Indian society living on the margins,” Jha said in a statement.

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M Gani, who makes his directorial debut with the movie, said he is grateful to the jury of SAIFF for giving his film an opportunity to be showcased at the festival.

“The journey of this film has made me realise that I could tell this story with such simplicity only because I have lived these tales around me. I consider myself to be a part of working-class and through the medium of cinema I am taking this opportunity to tell their stories… stories of their dreams, sorrows and struggles… I truly hope everyone enjoys watching this tale of our times,” he added.