PIFF 2021: Makarand Mane's Poraga Majetay, Vivek Dubey's Funeral win big

The 19th Pune International Film Festival came to a close on 9 December with the announcement of awards and felicitation of winners.

Poraga Majetay won big with its director Makarand Mane bagging the Sant Tukaram Best International Marathi Film Award and artiste Shashank Shende winning the Best Actor award. The film also took home a cash prize of Rs5 lakh. The road movie tells a story about the relationship between father and son who don't get along well with each other for no particular reason. 

First-time helmer Vivek Dubey won the prestigious Best Director award for his satirical drama Fun Eral. The filmmaker won the award for 'directing quite a complicated story about death in a very funny and gentle way'. The film's writer Ramesh Maruti Dighe also won the Best Screenplay award. 

The award for Best Actress went to Nehha Pende for her performance as a troubled woman dealing with loneliness in Vaibhav Khisti and Suhrud Godbole's maiden directorial venture June.

The Best Cinematography award was given to Suresh Deshmane for the film Kalokhachya Parambya while Gajendra Ahire and Vishal Kudale won the Jury Special Certificate for their respective films Godakaath and Tak-Tak. 

In the International Section, Should the Wind Drop by Nora Martirosyan won the top prize of Best International Film while Gaurav Madan won the Best International Director award for the Hindi film Barah By Barah.

The winners:

Government of Maharashtra's Sant Tukaram Best International Marathi Film: Poraga Majetay

Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal Best Marathi Film Director Award: Vivek Dubey for Fun Eral

Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal Best Marathi Film Actor Award: Shashank Shende for Poraga Majetay

Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal Best Marathi Film Actress Award: Nehha Pendse for June

Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal Best Marathi Screenplay Award: Ramesh Dighe for Poraga Majetay

Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal Best Marathi Film Cinematographer Award: Suresh Deshmane for Kalokhachya Parambya

Special Mention to the Director: Radu Jude for Uppercase Print

Jury Award for Best Film Director: Agnieszka Holland for Charlatan

Jury Special Certificate for Director: Gajendra Ahire for Godakaath and Vishal Kudale for Tak-Tak

Government of Maharashtra, Prabhat Best International Film Award: Should The Wind Drop (France-Belgium)

Government of Maharashtra, Prabhat Best International Film Director Award: Gaurav Madan for Barah By Barah