Bollywood director Ram Kamal Mukherjee‘s Bengali film Lokkhikantopur Local won the Best Director Award at the International Indian Film Festival of Toronto (IIFFT), adding yet another distinguished honor to his cinematic career.

Alongside renowned Bollywood director Kabir Khan, who won Best Director for his critically acclaimed film Chandu Champion, starring Kartik Aaryan, is Mukherjee. For Mukherjee, who received his first National Film Award in 2023 for his Hindi short film Ek Duaa, this most recent accomplishment is yet another noteworthy milestone. The filmmaker continues to leave his imprint with Lokkhikantopur Local by telling tales based on human emotions and Indian reality.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee said, “International recognition for a story told in my native tongue makes it even more poignant than any other award. I have a deep affection for Lokkhikantopur Local. It honors the individuals, locations, and tales that are intricately entwined with our lives but are frequently overlooked. It is quite overwhelming to have this movie acknowledged on a global scale. The occasion is made even more memorable by sharing this honor with a filmmaker of Kabir Khan’s caliber. I dedicate this award to my producer Sangita Sinha and my entire crew for believing in my vision, as well as to the IIFFT jury members for considering our movie on par with Chandu Champion”.

The film stars Rituparna Sengupta, Paoli Dam, Kaushik Ganguly, Indraneil Sengupta, Chandrayee Ghosh, Sayani Ghosh, John Bhattacharya, Rajnandini Paul, and Debashish Mondal. 

Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s career, from winning a National Film Award for Ek Duaa to gaining international acclaim for Lokkhikantopur Local, is evidence of his dedication to meaningful storytelling and filmmaking that cuts across linguistic and geographic barriers.

Congrats to the director!!

Priyanka Dutta