The Great Departure, which actor Sonal Sehgal wrote during the pandemic-induced lockdown, or as she puts it, “when the world was on pause”, premièred in Paris on October 30. For Sehgal, who also stars in it alongside actor Xavier Samuel, the première location says as much about the film as the story itself. “While the film is rooted in Varanasi, I believe the story will resonate with the audience worldwide. The world over, women are battling patriarchy. In India, we are still not open to embracing these stories, and hence France, where the audiences are patrons of world cinema, seemed to be the best place to première the film,” she explains.
The Great Departure tells the story of an Indian woman crossing paths with an Australian man in Varanasi. Through their romance, the movie explores patriarchy and its impact on love. Sehgal says she walked into the Paris première not knowing what to expect. “I was amazed at how well it was received. After the screening, a lot of French women told me that they resonated with my character.”
Recently, in wake of the Gisèle Pelicot case, France revised its rape laws, adding that the absence of consent constitutes rape. As her film that questions patriarchy opened in the country, Sehgal says, “I was never in doubt that patriarchy exists all over the world. That’s why I wrote the female lead as a modern Indian woman, who has her counterpart in the West. This conversation is not India-centric.”