Richa Chadha in a still from Masaan.
After winning two honours at the Cannes Film Festival, director Neeraj Ghaywan's debut film
Masaan will be released across India on July 24.
The film, which stars Richa Chadha, Vicky Kaushal, Shweta Tripathi, bagged the acclaimed International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) in the Un Certain Regard category and the Most Promising Newcomer award for the director, at the recently concluded festival.
"I am happier for India and my team than myself. A win in the official selection has been long overdue for India and we have a double win. For so many years Indie supporters as Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Guneet Monga, and now Manish Mundra, have worked immensely towards giving a platform to Indian Indies with the limited resources they had, against the conventional Bollywood structure," Neeraj said in a statement.
The film is joint produced by Manish Mundra (Drishyam Films), Macassar Productions, Sikhya Entertainment and Phantom Films.
"Neeraj did an inspiring directorial debut, converting the heart wrenching story into an equally impressive film that takes our heart on an emotional drive and then the emotions lingers on with you long after you have seen the film," he said.
The film, which premiered last week at the festival, was greeted by a five-minute long standing ovation by the critics and reviewers.
"The FIPRESCI and the Most Promising Newcomer prizes for
Masaan and Neeraj reinforce our faith in telling good stories and backing new talent. We are thrilled that the team's hard work has paid off and we are fully confident that the Indian audience will love the film as much," said Vikramaditya Motwane of Phantom Films.The film follows the journey of a group of people living in Varanasi, which reserves a cruel punishment for those who play with moral traditions.