Amid cancer battle, Tannishtha Chatterjee’s ‘Full Plate’ to open Indian film festival of Sydney

Mumbai: Tannishtha Chatterjee’s upcoming directorial, 'Full Plate', will open the Indian Film Festival of Sydney, organisers announced. The actress-filmmaker described the film as a story born out of “struggle, grit and hope.”

'Full Plate' stars Kirti Kulhari in the lead role, alongside Sharib Hashmi, Monica Dogra and Indranell Sengupta. The film recently had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival 2025.

The drama follows a Muslim homemaker in Mumbai whose life is upended after her husband suffers an accident, forcing her to step into the workforce. The story explores her husband’s insecurity and her personal transformation.

Speaking about the festival opening, Chatterjee said: “In the middle of one of the hardest chapters of my life, it meant everything to know that stories still matter. When Mitu asked me to open the Indian Film Festival of Sydney with 'Full Plate', I felt both humbled and profoundly grateful. This film was born out of struggle, grit and hope, and sharing it with the Sydney audience feels like bringing the journey full circle.”

Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM added: “There is something deeply resonant about opening with 'Full Plate'. Tannishtha’s courage and determination to tell this story despite overwhelming odds reflect exactly why Indian cinema matters — because it does more than entertain. It reveals. It heals. It challenges.”

The three-day festival, returning after a hiatus, will run from October 9 to 11.

On September 15, National Award-winning actress Shabana Azmi, a close friend of Chatterjee, revealed that 'Full Plate' was completed while the director was undergoing cancer treatment.

Sharing pictures on Instagram with Chatterjee, Sandhya Mridul, Divya Dutta and Urmila Matondkar, Azmi praised her friend, writing: “To Tiger Tan as she heads to Busan International Film Festival with her directorial venture, which she completed during her cancer treatment. You rock of Gibraltar.”

Last month, Chatterjee, known for her acting in films such as 'Parched' and 'Angry Indian Goddesses', disclosed that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 oligo-metastatic cancer.

IANS