Shimla film-maker Siddharth Chauhan wins ‘Best debut director from India’ award at International Film Festival in Kerala

Shimla, December 16

Siddharth Chauhan from Shimla won the ‘Best Debut Director from India’ award for his debut feature film ‘Amar Colony’ at the International Film Festival of Kerala on Friday. The film is set in Shimla and deals with the lives of three women living in a ‘chawl’.

“This is a huge achievement for me, I am thrilled. The International Film Festival of Kerala is one of the best in the world, so this award means a lot to me,” Chauhan told The Tribune.

Incidentally, ‘Amar Colony’ had won the Special Jury Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival held in the capital of Estonia a fortnight ago. The only Indian entry among films from 18 countries, the jury there had praised the movie for its ‘originality of vision’ and ‘how it was delighted with a bold and innovative presentation of a small city community’.

For Chauhan, winning the award at the Kerala festival is special for another reason as well. “My short film had won an award at this festival in 2016. I turned the film into a feature film and won the award for it as well. It’s like life coming full circle for me, just thrilled and grateful for this moment,” he said.

He plans to have a special screening of the film in Shimla shortly for his local fans.