Indian Filmmaker Anuparna Roy Wins Best Director Award at Venice Film Festival

  • Publish date: Tuesday، 09 September 2025 Reading time: two min read

From rural Purulia to Venice’s global stage: Anuparna Roy’s debut directs Indian cinema into new horizons.

Anuparna Roy, a debut filmmaker from Purulia in West Bengal, has made history by winning the Best Director Award in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival for her first feature, Songs of Forgotten Trees.

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The film, the only Indian entry in that category, chronicles the lives of two migrant women in Mumbai, exploring their fragile kinship through shared silences and small gestures.

The award, announced by Julia Ducournau, President of the Orizzonti jury, marked a landmark achievement: Roy is the first Indian filmmaker ever to receive this honor in Venice’s Orizzonti section. In her emotional acceptance speech, Roy dedicated the film to women erased by society’s systems and drew from deeply personal memories of her childhood village.

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Her powerful moment on stage extended beyond cinematic recognition. Roy used her platform to express solidarity with Palestinian children, declaring: “Every child deserves peace, freedom and liberation, and Palestine is no exception. I might upset my country, but it doesn’t matter to me anymore.” 

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Royal’s win has resonated across India. Her parents, initially uncertain about her film career, are now beaming with pride in their hometown of Kulti, West Bengal, affirming they “never imagined” such global acclaim. Bollywood stars, too, are celebrating her success—Alia Bhatt congratulated Roy, calling the moment “historic” for Indian cinema.

Roy’s victory rings through more than just the award halls. It stands as a beacon for regional storytellers and women directors, showcasing how voices from remote Indian villages can find global recognition. Her journey—from villages of Purulia to Venice’s red carpet—highlights the power of quiet but profound storytelling. It’s a testament to the changing tides of global cinema, where underrepresented narratives are finding their well-deserved spotlight.

This article was previously published on kuwaitmoments. To see the original article, click here