Red Carpet Surprises: Robert De Niro Joins ‘Angammal’ Triumph at NY Indian Film Festival

The New York Indian Film Festival just wrapped up, and this year’s edition had plenty of surprises—both on screen and off. The top honor went to Angammal, a moving film from Vipin Radhakrishnan that tells the story of a man navigating life in a Tamil Nadu village with his tradition-bound mother. The film struck a chord with the jury and took home the Best Film award.

 

Here’s what else stood out:

 

Humans In The Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay, was named Best Debut Film for its fresh perspective and storytelling.

 

Rima Das took home Best Director for Village Rockstars 2, and she also shared the Excellence in Directing award with Shonali Bose.

 

Subhadra Mahaja’s script for Second Chance was recognized as Best Screenplay, showing that strong writing is alive and well in Indian cinema.

 

Nawazuddin Siddiqui added another feather to his cap, winning Best Actor for I’m Not An Actor, while Sharmila Tagore was honored as Best Actress for her performance in The Ancient.

 

The documentary section was competitive, with A Fly on the Wall winning Best Feature Documentary. An Arrested Moment and Thursday Special stood out in the short documentary and short narrative categories.

 

The biggest off-screen moment? Robert De Niro made a surprise appearance at the festival’s Special Gala Premiere. He even cheered on Anupam Kher’s directorial effort, Tanvi The Great, making the night extra special for everyone there.

 

With heartfelt films, deserving winners, and a Hollywood legend in the audience, this year’s festival was one for the books—proving once again how Indian cinema is making waves far from home.

 

Source: Deadline, India TV News, NDTV