Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy has added another major international honour to her growing career, with her film Lovers in the Blue Night winning the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at the Venice Film Festival.
The recognition comes a year after Roy made a strong impression at Venice with her debut feature, Songs of Forgotten Trees. She won the Best Director award at the festival in 2025, making her return this year particularly significant.
Lovers in the Blue Night was the only Indian feature film to premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The film had its world premiere in the Orizzonti section, one of the festival’s important competitive sections, marking Roy’s second consecutive appearance at Venice.
Roy shared the news of the award on social media, expressing gratitude for the recognition. She described the moment as surreal and thanked her team, recalling the strong response the film received at the festival, including a seven-minute standing ovation.
The NETPAC jury praised the film for its sensitive portrayal of marginalised lives in Mumbai. The jury particularly highlighted Roy’s confident filmmaking voice and the film’s nuanced exploration of displacement, urban survival, desire, gender, poverty and class.
Set in Mumbai, Lovers in the Blue Night explores the intersecting lives of migrant workers and people living on the margins of the city. Rather than presenting their struggles only through hardship, the film attempts to examine their humanity, relationships and aspirations with sensitivity.
The film competed alongside 14 other titles for the NETPAC recognition. The competing films included La Ragazza con la Leica, The Burning Giants, What Belongs to Others, Falling House, The Difficult Bride and Until the Day Ends.
Roy said the award was deeply meaningful because the film came from a personal place. She explained that she wanted to tell stories about characters and lives that are often overlooked, approaching them with tenderness, dignity and honesty.
The filmmaker also said receiving the honour at Venice, a year after her debut feature was recognised at the same festival, was particularly moving. She expressed gratitude to the audience and jury for connecting with the film.
Producer Vikas Kumar also praised Roy’s filmmaking, describing her work as emotionally and cinematically confident. He said the award recognised not only the film but also the sensitivity, courage and conviction behind it.
According to Kumar, the film encourages audiences to look closely at people whose lives are often pushed to the margins and recognise their humanity, desire and dignity.
Lovers in the Blue Night is backed by Vikas Kumar, Sharib Khan, Bibhanshu Rai and Romil Modi. Neeraj Churi, Beesham A Seecharan and Navin Shetty are among the co-producers.
Roy’s consecutive appearances at Venice, followed by major recognition in both years, mark a significant achievement for an emerging Indian filmmaker. Her latest award also places Lovers in the Blue Night among the Indian films receiving international attention for their portrayal of complex social realities.
The NETPAC award further strengthens Roy’s reputation on the international festival circuit and highlights the growing visibility of Indian independent cinema at major global film festivals.
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