LOVE WINS

THE SHAMELESS

2024 / 115 min / color

Right from the start, the main character of Konstantin Bojanov’s film is on the run. After fatally stabbing a policeman, Renuka flees from a brothel in Delhi under the cover of darkness to seek refuge in a smaller town. She joins a local community of comfort women, and her attention is immediately drawn to the beautiful, young Device, whose fate seems to be sealed — she has to earn her living as a sex worker. A close bond develops between the two women, quickly turning into a passionate, forbidden love affair. Renuka becomes Device’s lover as well as her mentor. Together they embark on a dangerous journey, always in fear that the long arm of the law will catch up to them, fighting for their freedom in a world where women have no voice. Bulgarian-born Bojanov’s new film uses the motif of forbidden lesbian love to show a broader picture of Indian society: hierarchical, riddled with class inequalities and fostering misogynistic attitudes across generations. The greatest strength of The Shameless is in the intensity of its central female roles, most notably that of Renuka, played by Anasuya Sengupta, who won an award for her performance at the most recent Cannes Film Festival.

• Cannes IFF – Best Actress (Anasuya Sengupta – Un Certain Regard)