Bengali film 'Robibaar' wins two awards at Madrid International Film Festival

Director Atanu Ghosh's Bengali film "Robibaar" (On a Sunday), starring superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee and popular Bangladeshi actor Jaya Ahsan, won two awards at the Madrid International Film Festival, the filmmaker has said. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Ghosh said, "Two more coveted awards for Robibaar (On a Sunday) from Madrid International Film Festival 2020 - Best Lead Actress in a Foreign Language Film for Jaya Ahsan and Best Original Screenplay - in the same category."

The director also attached a video which showed the festival authorities making the announcement. The director told PTI on Wednesday, "the awards were announced when the online edition of the festival was held in the second week of September but we were waiting for the trophies to reach here before sharing the news. However, with the second phase of lockdown starting in Spain, we have decided to share the good news right away, before the end of the year."

Congratulating Ghosh on social media, Ahsan said on Tuesday, "in such difficult times, thank you Atanuda for bringing such an amazing news. Lots of love. In a prestigious foreign film festival, I was adjudged as the best among so many formidable female actors. This was possible as you etched out such a character. The lion's share of the contribution is yours."

The film hit the theatres on December 27, 2019 in West Bengal and was released on February 21 this year in Bangladesh. Ghosh told PTI that Ahsan was an instinctive actor "who would give shots in a style which is unconventional and natural.

"Prosenjit Chatterjee, the lead actor, also delivered a delicately nuanced performance in the layered complex role of a fraudster who is true to a woman, his ex-partner."

Ahsan won the honour after competing with 18 others nominated in the Best Lead Actress category, Ghosh said. This was Ahsan's first film with Chatterjee and she had earlier gushed about working with "Bumbada (as Chatterjee is fondly called), a fascinating actor I had yearned to work
with".

Ghosh had earlier got the 'Best Director and Best Writing awards' for the film at the Critics' Choice Film Awards 2020 in the country.