Hindi
Indian films dominate international section of MIFF
MUMBAI: Indian films bagged the top award – the Golden Conch – for best documentary in both the national and international categories – as also four other awards at the just concluded 10th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF).
The other awards were in the Documentary, Short and Animation Films categories.
While India Untouched – Stories of a People Apart by Stalin K, based on the oppressive caste system, got the top award in the Indian section, Goddesses by Leena Manimekalai – on women’s emancipation – received the Golden Conch in the international section for films up to 60 minutes.
The awards fetched Rs 150,000 and Rs 250,00 respectively in prize money.
India Untouched also won a cash award of Rs 100,000 for best film/video of the festival for the producer, Drishti – Media, Arts and Human Rights.
Renowned Manipur filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma received the V Shantaram Award for lifetime contribution from Kiran Shantaram, amidst a standing ovation.
The award comprises a shawl, a memento and Rs 250,000.
Poland, the US and Egypt won two awards each in the international section.
Two Polish films,One Day in People’s Poland by Maciej J Drygas and Beyond the Wall, by Vita Zelakeviciute, shared the award for Second Best Documentary up to 60 minutes duration (Silver Conch and Rs 100,000).
Both the films were produced by Drygas.
Salata Baladi (House Salad) by Nadia Kamel of Egypt got the Golden Conch and Rs 250,000 for best documentary above 60 minutes and the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award (Certificate of Merit).
The two American films to win awards were Flow: for Love of Water by Irena Salina, which got the FIPRESCI award and Rs 100,000; and View from a Grain of Sand by Meena Nanji, which won the second best documentary film above 60 minutes (Silver Conch and Rs 100,000).
The other Indian film to win awards in the international category were Kramasha by Amit Dutta, which won the best fiction up to 75 minutes (Golden Conch and Rs 250,000), and the Producers‘ Award for the Film and Television Institute of India (Rs 100,000).
Ink, by director Bharani Thanikella (trophy and Rs 100,000), and Undertakers by Emannuel Quindo Palo, shared the award for second best fiction film up to 75 minutes with Belgium’s Bare Handed by Thierry Knauff (Silver Conch and Rs 100,000).
In the Indian section, the Golden Conch and Rs 150,000 also went to best fiction Manjha by Rahi Anil Barve.
She also got the award for best first film of a director (trophy and Rs 25,000).
The best animation film was Myths about You by Nandita Jain.
Other awards included the Indian Jury Award (Rs 100,000), which went to two films: I’m Very Beautiful by Shyamal Kumar Karmakar and Thousand Days and a Dream by P Baburaj and C Saratchandran.
The Indian Critics award went to Vinod Raja‘s Mahua Memoirs which also received the award for second best documentary (Silver Conch and Rs 75,000).
The Silver Conch and Rs 75,000 for the second best films went to The Lost Rainbow by Dhiraj Meshram produced by FTII (fiction up to 75 minutes), and animation film Three Little Pigs by Bhavana Vyas and Akarito Assumi.
Special Mention and Certificate of Merit was awarded to two films: Our Family by Dr K P Jayasankar and Dr Anjali Monteiro, and Raga of River Narmada by Rajendra Janglay.
The awards were given away by festival director and Films Division chief producer Kuldeep Sinha, filmmakers Shyam Benegal and Jahnu Barua, and actress Nandita Das, in a ceremony conducted by Rajeshwari Sachdev.
A total of 235 films were shown in the special packages in the festival which commenced on 3 February and was organised by the Films Division in collaboration with the Maharashtra government and the Indian Documentary Producers Association.
In addition, there were 44 films in the international competition from 16 countries, 54 films in the Indian competition, and 13 international and nine Indian films in special screenings.
Films from a total of 37 countries were screened in different sections.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
