Local director gets intl award for ‘Pashi’

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 5

Local youth Siddharth Chauhan has won the Best Director Award for his film “Pashi” at the World Music and Independent Film Festival in Washington earlier this week.

The results were revealed this morning and the film “Pashi” had been nominated in five different categories, said Chauhan. “Pashi” was nominated in five categories — Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Short Film. The festival was held in Washington from January 29 to February 4.

“Pashi” is a 30-minute film in Hindi and Pahari and has been written, produced and directed by Siddharth.

It was shot in 10 days at Sunta Lodge, a beautiful wooden mansion in Khalwan village in Rohru. Some other parts were filmed in Dhanori village near Tikker in Rohru. “Pashi” premiered at the Oscar Qualifying and has since travelled to 10 international festivals and won six honours.

“Pashi” was awarded with four honours at the South Film and Arts Academy Festival in Chile, South America, which included Best Short Film, Audience Choice Award (second position), Best Director and Best Actor.

“The amazing response which our film is getting internationally is unbelievable and overwhelming. The day it premiered at the Oscar Qualifying: ‘Rhode Island Film Festival’, I knew that we had been successful in creating some magic because it was the only Indian film which made it to the festival,” said an ecstatic Siddharth.

“Though all filmmakers try to create that magic, it’s only these awards and reviews which assure us of the merit,” he added.

“I dedicate this award to my amazing team and my actors who worked so hard for the film. It is because they allowed me to direct the film that I could do it,” he said.

This was not only a Himachali film’s victory but also India’s victory as Indian short films had made a strong impression at the festival.