Haider wins award at Rome film festival

IANS/RomeBollywood film Haider - a modern-day adaptation of Hamlet - won the People’s Choice Award in the Mondo Genre (world genre) at the ninth edition of Rome Film Festival here.Haider, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, also had an Italian premiere on October 24. The film, produced by UTV Motion Pictures and VB Pictures, won the award on Saturday. “It truly affirms our belief that good cinema can transcend boundaries and this award puts Haider on the global map,” Amrita Pandey, vice president and head of marketing and distribution of Disney India said in a statement.Out of the seven films including A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (US), Quando Eu Era Vivo/ When I Was Alive (Brazil) and La Prochaine Fois Je Viserai Le Coeur/ Next Time I’ll Aim For The Heart (France), which featured under the genre, Haider was the only Asian film selected across the globe.This is the first time that an Indian film has won the audience award in a non-specialised (non-focused on Asian cinema) wide-ranging international festival. For Bhardwaj, it was a proud moment.“Haider is a classic Shakespearean tale retold with Kashmir in India as its backdrop, it’s a story that we would like to take to the world and to get this award now is a proud moment for the entire team of Haider,” said Bhardwaj.Starring Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Menon and Irrfan Khan, the movie saw a worldwide release on October 2. The film not only did well at the box office, but also won accolades for Shahid Kapoor for his matured performance.The actor considers himself “fortunate” to get a chance to be a part of “this breakthrough movie.”