Qissa, a film produced by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and starring Irrfan, has won the Dioraphte Audience Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
This is the first time an Indian film has won such an award. Directed by Anup Singh, Qissa is a Punjabi film set in the post-partition era and it has Irrfan playing a Sikh in it.
Dealing with the subject of ethnic cleansing and general chaos that accompanied India's partition in 1947, it is the story of Umber Singh attempting to forge a new life for his family while keeping their true identities a secret in their own community.
When contacted, Irrfan said that Qissa is a tough film that also tests its audiences. `The Lunchbox may have been a more commercial film but with Qissa, if you connect with the film, it will stay with you for a really long time.
Moreover, this is the first time I have spoken Punjabi in a film and I must say that I've discovered a certain music in the language,` he said, adding that there has been a surge in good cinema over the last two-three years.
Interestingly, Qissa is the first film to be shot under the Indian-German co-production treaty; it is an international co-production between India, Germany, Netherlands and France.
The film has earlier travelled to other film festivals such as Abu Dhabi Film Festival, New York Film Festival, South Asian International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival.
