3rd annual Film Critics Circle of India Award

For the Best Indian Film censored in India in 2017 and/or released anywhere in the world in 2017

 

Best Film—VILLAGE ROCKSTARS | Assamese film, directed by Rima Das

“A milestone film of sorts, Village Rockstars epitomises the trials and tribulations, and heralds the coming of age, of a filmmaker, of her protagonist, and of the indie film movement in India.”
-Dalton L

 

“Rima Das’ film is a lyrical montage of life and times in contemporary rural India. It subtly draws attention to complex gender issues – sometimes even subverting the conventional gender norms – without ever getting preachy. Bhanita Das – the pint-sized fiery ball of lovable energy – is endearingly natural. But just when one fears that the film might become schmaltzy, the film-maker takes control. The lens speaks volumes, sometimes conveying more than the dialogues. Such a work by a first-time director holds a lot of promise for Indian cinema.”
-Priyanka Dasgupta

 

“A women’s journey into the heart of the matter.“
-Premchand

 

 

Nominations
Film Director Language/s
Angamaly Diaries Lijo Jose Pellissery Malayalam
Newton Amit Masurkar Hindi /Gondi
Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum Dileesh Pothan Malayalam
Village Rockstars Rima Das Assamese

 

 

One of the primary objectives of the Film Critics Circle of India (FCCI) is to encourage the production of cinema of high artistic and aesthetic value, chiefly through the institution of the FCCI Awards.

 

  • How does a film critic ensure that they get the cultural nuances of films in languages/regions they are unfamiliar with (because subtitles cannot convey everything)? Awarding films on a pan-Indian basis is extremely difficult.
    Baradwaj Rangan,
  • The FIPRESCI Grand Prix, awarded every year at the San Sebastian Film Festival, is highly respected. So is the Sight and Sound awards in Britain. It would be great if we could succeed in instituting a highly-respected, authentic, unbiased annual film critics’ award in India.
    Utpal Borpujari,
  • The FCCI Award would be for cinematic excellence. Thus, it should not matter at all if only a handful of people in the world have watched the film. The size of the film’s audience is unimportant. Ours is not a populist award given in exchange for getting the star from the winning film to dance for a TV channel. This is what you see happening most of the time.
    Saibal Chatterjee,
  • Encouragement to formal innovation instead of to exploring 'relevant' social issues will help cinema as well.
    MK Raghavendra,
  • Why has the Film Critics Circle of India decided to award/ select one film as the Best of 2015? To identify, in this age of marketing hype and 300-crore clubs, that one film which has touched all of us initiated viewers with its thematic relevance, authenticity of presentation and clarity of purpose. And that, to my mind, would be the significance of the award which will not be going out with a big purse but only as a genuine endorsement of the maker's effort.
    Ratnottama Sengupta,

 

 

 

 

2nd annual Film Critics Circle of India Award

For the Best Indian Film released in India in 2016 and/or released outside India in 2016

Best Film – THITHI (Funeral), directed by Raam Reddy

 

1st annual Film Critics Circle of India Award

For the best Indian film theatrically released in India in 2015

Best Film – COURT (directed by Chaitanya Tamhane)