New Delhi | Independent feature film "Body", directed by first-time filmmaker Abhijit Mazumdar, has been chosen as an official selection at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

The festival is set to be held in Thiruvananthapuram between December 13 and December 20.

According to a press release, "Body" will screen in the International Competition section at the IFFK.

Set in the post-pandemic era, the 142-minute film follows Manoj, a young struggling actor still trying to cope with his personal trauma. He befriends a little boy living in the opposite apartment who is regularly abused by his father, a discovery that sets Manoj off on a complex journey of uncertainty and intrigue.

Mazumdar, a Film & Television Institute of India graduate, said "Body" is inspired by a recurring dream of finding himself naked amid people.

"What does it mean to be truly naked? A feeling of quiet desperation over time kept bringing this image back to my mind. An image of a naked man in public, which reveals the dimensions of horror, pain and confusion. What is abstract? How do we arrive there through the process of working with real space and time? What impact does it have on the audience? And most importantly, what is real? "When Manoj begins to strip in public places, I try to delve into these questions. The horrific images of the pandemic are etched in his mind. He frantically tries to replace them with new images. My effort is to trace the journey of his troubled mind," the director said in a statement.

"Body" stars Manoj Sharma, Khushboo Upadhyay, Sunil Shanbag, Sandeep Shridhar Dhabale, Amol Deshmukh, Jatin Negi, Kritika Pande, Shivam Parekh, Sarthak Pandey.

Mazumdar has also written the film, which is produced by Amala Popuri. Aashish Dubey is on board as associate producer