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The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) marked its golden jubilee with a celebration of world cinema, and Indian films emerged as one of the brightest highlights. Among the global contenders, two Indian stories stood tall, earning coveted awards that underscored the country’s growing cinematic voice on the international stage.
Jitank Singh Gurjar’s Vimukt (In Search of the Sky) was honoured with NETPAC award for the Best Film from Asia and the Pacific, while Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound won third place in the International People’s Choice Awards, sharing the limelight with acclaimed films from Korea and Scandinavian countries.
With Vimukt, young filmmaker Jitank Singh Gurjar offers an unvarnished yet deeply humane portrait of rural India. The film follows Jasrath and Vidya, an aging couple clawing their way through life in a central Indian village weighed down by poverty, superstition, and social stigma. Jasrath toils daily in a brick kiln; Vidya sells cow dung patties as cooking fuel. Their son, Naran, suffers from a mental disability, and his condition is met not with compassion, but with shame and whispered judgement. Their choices, entangled with the rigid codes of village belief, form the heart of the film.
Performances elevate the narrative. Nikhil Yadav’s portrayal of Naran lingers long after the credits roll, while Raghvendra Bhadoriya and Meghna Agarwal breathe weary grace into the roles of Jasrath and Vidya. Crafted with a tender eye by cinematographer Shelly Sharma, and shaped by the editing of Pavan Theurkar, the 87-minute independent film bears the raw sincerity of grassroots cinema.
For Gurjar, a Gwalior-based theatre artist making only his second feature, the TIFF recognition is more than an award, it is a gateway to new horizons in mainstream cinema.
The TIFF People’s Choice Award, often a predictor of global success, placed Homebound in the distinguished company of Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value.
Set in a small north Indian town, Ghaywan’s film explores the tender friendship of Chandan (Vishal Jethwa) and Shoaib (Ishan Khattar), two young men united by their dream of joining the police force. Their pursuit of the uniform, a symbol of both authority and aspiration, is tested by financial hardship, political turbulence, and the deep fault lines of religious identity.
With executive producer Martin Scorsese lending global weight, Homebound combines artistic gravitas with emotional urgency. Pratik Shah’s cinematography paints the textures of small-town India with intimacy, while the evocative score by Naren Chandavarkar and Benedict Taylor deepens the film’s emotional resonance. Editor Nitin Baid lends a crisp rhythm, and Janhvi Kapoor adds poignancy to the ensemble.
For Ghaywan, whose Cannes-lauded debut Masaan (2015) made him an international name, this achievement consolidates his place as one of India’s most courageous contemporary storytellers.
Beyond the awards, Indian cinema made itself seen across the festival. Screenings included Hansal Mehta’s eagerly awaited series Gandhi, Anurag Kashyap’s Monkey In A Cage, and Bikas Mishra’s Bayaan. TIFF Classics honoured Indian cinema’s timeless treasures with the 50th anniversary screening of Sholay and Satyajit Ray’s Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest).
The enduring visibility of South Asian cinema owes much to Meenakshi Shedde, writer, filmmaker and senior programme advisor at TIFF. For more than four decades, she has tirelessly championed South Asian voices, ensuring they resonate on the world stage.
This jubilee year, TIFF hosted over 1,200 screenings of 280 films from 79 countries, with 110 red-carpet premieres adding glamour to its storied legacy. More than just a showcase of cinema, TIFF reaffirmed its identity as a cultural meeting ground where stories transcend borders, and art becomes a shared language.