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Mukesh Modi’s ‘Khoonta’ wins best Indian feature film in Kolkata
The film's latest recognition adds to its growing international run, following its Cannes screening and Best Foreign Feature Film win in London.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 10, Aug 2026
- 18:03 EDT
- 30
KHOONTA's poster / Handout
Indian American filmmaker Mukesh Modi's Himalayan drama Khoonta won the Best Indian Feature Film Award at the Indian Movie Awards in Kolkata.
The latest award comes after Khoonta had its market premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May and subsequently won Best Foreign Feature Film at the 2026 London Independent Film Awards.
Also Read: Mukesh Modi's KHOONTA wins London film award
Written and directed by Anushi Sharma and produced by New York-based Modi, Khoonta is set in a Himalayan village and centers on faith, tradition, identity and the tensions created by modernization and environmental change.
Certificate of achievement / Mukesh ModiAt the center of Khoonta is the story of a woman waiting for her missing husband while her village undergoes social and environmental change. Through her story, the film explores the relationship between faith, memory, nature and a way of life facing uncertainty.
The film draws on cultural traditions associated with Himachal Pradesh's Giripar region, including the Hati and Gaddi communities and Jaunsari culture, and is inspired by spiritual traditions associated with Mahasu Maharaj.
Sharma, who also stars in the film, is from Shillai in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district. Her journey with Khoonta began with a story rooted in the region's culture and traditions and eventually took the film to the Cannes Film Market on May 16, 2026.
The Cannes screening was described as a significant moment for Himachal's largely underrepresented film industry, with the movie becoming the first film from the state to reach the Cannes platform.
The filmmakers also emphasized authenticity in depicting Himalayan life. The cast includes Himachali actors, while costumes were sourced from village homes or made by local tailors, according to reporting ahead of the Cannes screening. The film's setting and characters are intended to reflect the region's dialect, customs and cultural identity rather than present the Himalayas merely as a backdrop.
Environmental concerns form another major thread in the film. Its narrative addresses the impact of unchecked human intervention on fragile Himalayan ecosystems, including issues such as floods, landslides and ecological imbalance affecting mountain communities in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Following the London award, Modi said the film was created with a message about the relationship between people and nature.
“Khoonta was created not only as a film, but as a message. We wanted audiences to feel the beauty of nature, understand its power, and recognize our responsibility to protect it,” Modi said.
“From our Cannes Market Premiere to winning Best Foreign Feature Film in London and now Best Indian Feature Film in Kolkata, every recognition gives us greater confidence that this message is reaching people,” he added.
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