Expressing her happiness in a post on Instagram while sharing the news with her fans, Vidya Balan wrote, "Yay!! I'm over the moon."
Vidya Balan starrer 'Natkhat', has won the top prize at the third edition of Best Of India Short Film Festival 2020, which makes it eligible for Oscar nomination. The 'Kahaani' star, who debuted as a producer with the film, plays a homemaker in a patriarchal setup.
Expressing her happiness in a post on Instagram while sharing the news with her fans, Vidya wrote, "Yay!! I'm over the moon. So grateful Posted @withregram • @shortstvindia Short film Natkhat featuring Vidya Balan bags the winning trophy at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2020! The film is now eligible for Oscar Consideration and wins a grand prize of $2,500!"
While speaking to IANS about the film being eligible for Oscar nomination, the actor said, "In a year that has been turbulent, it feels great to win the first award for our film that leads the way directly to Oscar qualification. This film is incredibly close to me since it gave me a chance to play the dual roles of actor and producer."
"Even in these times, creativity and content have found ways to thrive and travel. Through innovation and technology international festivals and platforms have continued to advance and bridge the gaps in new and disruptive ways. We are thrilled to have won the festival and are eligible for Oscar 2021 qualification. Onward, together Vidya and I hope to bring home an Oscar," co-producer Ronnie Screwvala told IANS in an interview.
The film also won prize money of $2,500 (approximately Rs 1,85,497) and an opportunity for a television broadcast deal on ShortsTV.
Earlier, Vidya's short film opened The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne which was held virtually. The film is a confronting story of a mother teaching her young son about gender equality and calls out toxic misogyny. 'Natkhat' premiered on Youtube as part of the prestigious We are One: A Global Film Festival.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Vidya will be next seen in 'Sherni' directed by Amit Masurkar. The film explores the man-animal conflict in which the actor essays the role of a forest officer. Talking about working with Amit, Vidya told Mumbai Mirror, "I loved Newton and when Amit narrated Sherni to me, I knew I wanted to do this film. The uniqueness of the story and its world appealed to me."
'Sherni' will be extensively shot in the forests of Madhya Pradesh and the makers are yet to announce the release date.
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