Manoj Bajpayee reigns supreme

Manoj Bajpayee's psychological drama,

Gali Guleiyan

(In the Shadows) has won him the Best Actor Award at the recently concluded New York Indian Film Festival.

The Film's debutant director Dipesh Jain said, “We are elated to hear about Manoj sir’s award at the Film Festival. It is an acknowledgement of his stellar performance in the film. We consider ourselves blessed to have worked with an actor like him who embraces his character so seamlessly and makes it his own.” It is not often that a film can boast of a simultaneous premiere at three prestigious International Film Festivals - Busan International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival & Mumbai's MAMI and, go on to win the Grand Jury award at the latter. Yet, Gali Guleiyan did just that last year!

The film has travelled to more than 15 top International Film Festivals and won audience accolades and awards along the way. The psychological drama is about a man trapped within the walls and alleys of Old Delhi and his own mind, who attempts to break free to find a human connection. The protagonist is played by Manoj Bajpayee and ably supported by an ensemble cast of actors par excellence - Ranvir Shorey, Neeraj Kabi and Shahana Goswami along with debutant child actor Om Singh. Shot entirely on locations, the film is directed by Los Angeles-based debutant filmmaker and winner of Director Guild of America Award, Dipesh Jain.