TIFF 2023: India wins big with 'Dear Jassi' and 'Sthal'
Indian films Sthal and Dear Jassi have emerged as winners at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2023. Sthal bagged the prestigious NETPAC Award, while Dear Jassi secured the Platform Award. Both awards recognize outstanding films from the South Asian region.
'Sthal' focuses on arranged marriages in small towns of India
Directed by Jayant Digambar Somalkar, Sthal is a Marathi film set in Dongargaon, Maharashtra's Vidarbha region. The film delves into the custom of arranged marriages and is told from the perspective of Savita, a young girl played by first-time actor Nandini Chikte. Upon winning the NETPAC Award, Somalkar dedicated it to "all the brave women who challenge their adverse circumstances."
'Dear Jassi' tackles the serious issue of honor killing
Dear Jassi, a Punjabi/English film directed by Tarsem Singh Dhandwar, won the Platform Award at TIFF 2023. The film is based on a real-life honor-killing incident in Punjab and follows Indo-Canadian girl Jassi and Mithu, a Punjabi rickshaw driver. After a fateful meeting, their love blossoms through exchanged letters, however, following an eye-opening event, Jassi realizes the challenges they will face in pursuing their relationship due to her family's strict customs.
