National Award-winning filmmaker shares the prestigious Best Director honour with Bollywood filmmaker Kabir Khan, recognised for Chandu Champion.
Bollywood filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee has added another prestigious accolade to his cinematic journey, winning the Best Director Award at the International Indian Film Festival of Toronto (IIFFT) for his Bengali film Lokkhikantopur Local.
The recognition places Mukherjee alongside noted veteran Bollywood filmmaker Kabir Khan, who also received the Best Director honour for his acclaimed film Chandu Champion, starring Kartik Aaryan. This latest achievement marks another significant milestone for Mukherjee, who won his first National Film Award in 2023 for his Hindi short film Ek Duaa. With Lokkhikantopur Local, the filmmaker continues to make his mark through stories rooted in Indian realities and human emotions.
Sharing his happiness, Ram Kamal Mukherjee said, “Every award is special, but international recognition for a story told in my mother tongue makes it even more emotional. Lokkhikantopur Local is very close to my heart. It celebrates the people, places, and stories that often remain unnoticed but are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives. To have this film recognised on an international platform is truly overwhelming. Sharing this honour with a filmmaker of Kabir Khan’s stature makes the moment even more special. I remember interviewing Kabir when I was working with Stardust. He is a brilliant storyteller. I dedicate this award to my producer Sangita Sinha and my entire directorial team who had faith in my vision, and the jury members at IIFFT for evaluating this film in the same light as a mega-star Kartik Aaryan film like Chandu Champion; this gives me hope that good content will always find its own audience.”
From winning a National Film Award for Ek Duaa to receiving international recognition for Lokkhikantopur Local, Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s journey is a testament to his commitment to meaningful storytelling and cinema that transcends geographical and linguistic boundaries.
The film is produced by Sangita Sinha under the banner of Angel Creations. “I am extremely proud of my director Ram Kamal dada for winning this prestigious award in Toronto. The competition was tough, as regional cinema comes with a lot of financial restrictions, but still, on the basis of pure content and performance, the film won hearts,” says Sangita Sinha, who also plays a pivotal role as an actor in Lokkhikantopur Local.
The film stars Rituparna Sengupta, Paoli Dam, Kaushik Ganguly, Indraneil Sengupta, Chandrayee Ghosh, Sayani Ghosh, John Bhattacharya, Rajnandini Paul, and Debashish Mondal.
“I am delighted to know that Ram Kamal won the Best Director Award at IIFFT, and he is definitely deserving. His craft has been well appreciated by national and international cine-connoisseurs since his debut film, Cakewalk. This was my first association with Ram Kamal, and the way he weaved in the character of Labanya with Utpal (Kaushik Ganguly) and Kalyani (Paoli Dam) in the multilayered plot shows his credentials as a filmmaker,” says Bengal’s iconic female superstar, Rituparna Sengupta.
The film also won Best Supporting Actress (Chandrayee Ghosh) at West Bengal Film Journalists Awards 2026.
