Nana Patekar’s The Confession of Mary heads to TIFF for screening.
The thriller draws from Kerala’s 1966 Madatharuvi murder case.
Ananth Mahadevan’s film explores truth, faith and difficult moral choices.
Nana Patekar’s upcoming film The Confession of Mary is set to be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, giving the crime thriller an international platform ahead of its wider journey. Directed by Ananth Mahadevan and produced by NH Studioz, the film is rooted in a real-life case from Kerala and brings together a strong ensemble cast led by Patekar.
The film also stars Adil Hussain, Ashish Vidyarthi, Gautam Rode, Pankhuri Awasthi and Joy Sengupta. Blending suspense, crime and moral conflict, The Confession of Mary draws from the Madatharuvi case, a 1966 incident involving a Catholic priest accused of murdering a widow.
The Confession Of Mary brings a real Kerala case to TIFF
The story centres on Father Benedict Onamkulam, who was arrested and tried in connection with the murder of Mariyakutty. He maintained that certain details known to him were protected by the seal of confession and therefore could not be revealed.
A sessions court sentenced him to death before the Kerala High Court acquitted him in 1967.
Explaining the approach to the film, director Ananth Mahadevan said, “The Confession of Mary is not merely a thriller; it is a film about the choices people make when truth comes with a price. We have tried to tell this extraordinary true-life story with restraint, keeping the suspense intact while allowing the moral questions to stay with the audience.”
Nana Patekar film gets International platform at TIFF
The TIFF market screening is expected to help the film connect with international distributors, sales agents and other industry professionals.
Speaking about the film’s international prospects, Shreyans Hirawat of NH Studioz said, “The strength of The Confession of Mary lies in its subject and the universal appeal that the film has. It will resonate with the audience across the globe, and we are excited to present the film to the international market at TIFF.”
Nana Patekar-starrer The Confession of Mary is scheduled for its TIFF screening on September 9 at 7.30 pm. The Toronto International Film Festival will run from September 10 to September 20.
