New Delhi, May 28 (IANS): Neeraj Ghaywan's debut feature "Masaan", which won two prestigious awards at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier this month, will release in India on July 24. The filmmaker says he "never dreamt of this day".
The movie, which follows the stories of four people from a small Indian town and how they fit into the moralities, won the Promising Future Prize and the International Federation of Film Critics (Fipresci) Award at the ongoing festival. Moreover, the film received a five-minute standing ovation at the film gala.
Ghaywan said in a statement: "I wish I could say, 'This is a dream come true'. I never dreamt of this day. This is magical. My first film, produced by the people who inspire me, is a great feeling and now winning these awards, is a feeling one cannot articulate. I am happier for India and my team than myself."
A joint production between Manish Mundra (Drishyam Films), Macassar Productions, Sikhya Entertainment and Phantom Films, "Masaan" was selected in the UnCertain Regard section at the Cannes fest.
Ghaywan said that a "win in the official selection has been long overdue for India and we have a double win".
"For so many years, indie supporters as Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Guneet Monga, and now Manish Mundra, have worked immensely towards giving a platform to Indian Indies with the limited resources they had, against the conventional Bollywood structure. This win is an acknowledgement of their stupendous effort for so many years," he added.
The film stars newcomers Vicky Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi and powerhouse performers Richa Chadha and Sanjay Mishra.
“We will now work for 'Masaan' to ensure a successful release globally along with theatrical release in India," said Mundra, while Monga added: "Neeraj is a true talent whose path-breaking work has taken us to the global stage and made us all proud. This is truly the age of Indian cinema arriving to the world."
Motwane believes the awards "reinforce our faith in telling good stories and backing new talent".
"We are thrilled that the team's hard work has paid off and we are fully confident that the Indian audience will love the film as much," he added.