Nandita Das, who plays the central character in Chitra Palekar's "Maati Maay" (Marathi), has bagged the Best Actress Award at the Madrid International Film Festival.

"Maati Maay" (A Grave-keeper's Tale) is based on a short story (Baayen) by the well-known writer Mahasweta Devi. It is the heart-rending tale of a young mother who is trapped between her instincts and needs, and the compulsions of her ancestral duty as dictated by the social system.

A tale within a tale, "Maati Maay" is a multi-dimensional, multi-layered film exploring a wide range of human relationships in a traditional society. It not only portrays the changing dynamics of intimacy between Chandi (Nandita Das), Bhagirath (Kshitij Gavande) and Narsu" (Atul Kulkarni), but also brings into focus the relationship of each protagonist with the outside world.

The film has been written, produced and directed by Chitra Palekar under the banner of Dnya Films.