Ram Kamal Mukherjee wins Best Director award at Toronto Film Festival

National Award-winning filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee has won the Best Director Award at the International Indian Film Festival of Toronto (IIFFT) for his Bengali feature ‘Lokkhikantopur Local’.

Mukherjee shared the honour with Bollywood filmmaker Kabir Khan, who was recognised in the same category for ‘Chandu Champion’, starring Kartik Aaryan.

The award marks another milestone for Mukherjee, who received a National Film Award in 2023 for his Hindi short film ‘Ek Duaa’. Produced by Sangita Sinha under the Angel Creations banner, ‘Lokkhikantopur Local’ tells a story rooted in everyday lives and local experiences.

Reacting to the recognition, Mukherjee said: “Every award is special, but international recognition for a story told in my mother tongue makes it even more emotional. ‘Lokkhikantopur Local’ is very close to my heart. It celebrates the people, places, and stories that often remain unnoticed but are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives.”

He added: “To have this film recognised on an international platform is truly overwhelming. Sharing this honour with a filmmaker of Kabir Khan’s stature makes the moment even more special. I dedicate this award to my producer Sangita Sinha and my entire team who had faith in my vision.”

Producer and actor Sangita Sinha said: “I am extremely proud of my director Ram Kamal dada for winning this prestigious award in Toronto. The competition was tough, as regional cinema comes with a lot of financial restrictions, but still, on the basis of pure content and performance, the film won hearts.”

The film features an ensemble cast including Rituparna Sengupta, Paoli Dam, Kaushik Ganguly, Indraneil Sengupta, Chandrayee Ghosh, Sayani Ghosh, John Bhattacharya, Rajnandini Paul and Debashish Mondal.

Actor Rituparna Sengupta praised the director’s achievement, saying: “I am delighted to know that Ram Kamal won the Best Director Award at Toronto, and he is definitely deserving. His craft has been well appreciated by national and international cine-connoisseurs since his debut film, Cakewalk. This was my first association with Ram Kamal, and the way he weaved in the character of Labanya with Utpal (Kaushik Ganguly) and Kalyani (Paoli Dam) in the multilayered plot shows his credentials as a filmmaker.”