Irrfan, Manoj Bajpayee and Richa Chadha picked up honours at the Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival on Friday. Irrfan, whose Doob: No Bed of Roses and The Song of Scorpions were screened at the festival, was given an Icon Award, as was Bajpayee, whose Love, Sonia and In the Shadows were part of the festival’s programme.
“Getting this award at this prestigious film festival, it definitely is a matter of privilege for me, also in London, the city I love the most,” Variety quoted Bajpayee as saying. Irrfan, who is in London for treatment for a neuroendocrine tumour, reportedly received his award privately.
Richa Chadha took home the Outstanding Achievement Award. She stars in Tabrez Noorani’s trafficking drama Love, Sonia, which was the opening night movie at the festival.
“When you say Indian films, people assume it’s just Bollywood and that’s untrue,” Variety quoted Chadha as saying at the event. “We have independent films...Festivals like LIFF help us in making the right noise back home, so these films stand a chance against the mainstream expensive [movies].”
The Best Newcomer Award went to Mrunal Thakur, who also stars in Love, Sonia. The movie’s cast includes Sai Tamhankar and Freida Pinto.
Jason Wingard’s comedy Eaten by Lions won the Audience Award for Best Film. The director described the movie, about half-brothers Omar and Pete who go looking for Omar’s biological father, as a “modern relevant comedy dealing with contemporary issues such as diversity and disability”.