Kochi: Director Sanal Kumar Sashidharan has won the prestigious Tiger Competition award in the International Film Festival Rotterdam held in Netherlands for his latest film Sexy Durga. This is the 46th edition of the festival. While naming Sexy Durga the best film, the jury said that award was “for its daring and resourceful approach in creating a mood of constant tension. The particular use of the camera and acting give a sense of immediacy and momentum, while providing an insight into multi-layered power dynamics of gender, class and authority.” “This is for the team Sexy Durga. This is for the Malayalam independent cinema," Mr Sasidharan tweeted after receiving the award.
Mr Sasidharan third feature film, which had its world premiere on January 27 in Rotterdam, became the first Indian film to win big at the prestigious international film festival. Sexy Durga is a ‘road movie.’ The winner takes home a prize money of euro 40,000 (roughly '28 lakh ). IFFR is one of the biggest cultural events in the Netherlands and one of the largest audience-oriented film festivals in the world. A special screening of the film would be held on Sunday, in the prestigious Eye Film Institute at Amsterdam.
The special programme is to present the films that provoked the most wide ranging reactions from the audience. The selection was based on the results of an audience poll. “Huge congratulation to Winner of the Tiger Award: Sexy Durga - Sanal Kumar Sasidharan” Oscar winner Resul Pookutty tweeted. Law minister A.K. Balan also congratulated Mr Sasidharan. “Rotterdam is one of the top ten film festivals in the world. Glad to hear that Sexy Durga has won the award. This is a proud moment for Malyalam cinema as well as Kerala,” he said.
