Amit Masurkar’s Newton, which was India’s pick for the Oscars this year, won the Best Hindi Film honour at the 65th National Film Awards on Friday. Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who was part of the film, also won a Special Mention for his performance.
Produced by Manish Mundra and starring Rajkummar Rao, Newton revolves around a young government clerk, who is sent on election duty to a Maoist-controlled town. The film portrays how the ideological struggle puts him in an awkward situation.
The film was shot in the interiors of Chhattisgarh.
Pankaj played Aatma Singh, a cynical Central Reserve Poilce Force officer. It was selected as India’s official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category for Oscars 2018, but didn’t make it to the final shortlist.
Jury chairperson and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur praised Pankaj’s “good” performance.
He said Pankaj’s performance was largely ignored by the press. Kapur felt the main character would not have been as strong without the supporting role.
