Ashish Bende Wins Best Debut Director For Aatmapamphlet At 71st National Awards

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Aanand L Rai praised Ashish Bende's dedication for Aatmapamphlet and said he felt lucky to support Ashish at the start of his career.
Marathi cinema made a strong mark at the 71st National Film Awards for 2023 by winning several important honours. One big winner was Aatmapamphlet, directed by newcomer Ashish Bende, who received the Best Debut Film of a Director award. The film stood out not just because of Ashish's impressive work behind the camera, but also because it was the first Marathi movie to bring together three big names like Zee Studios, Aanand L Rai and Bhushan Kumar.
After the win, Rai praised Ashish's dedication. He added that this success proved personal stories have great power and said he felt lucky to support Ashish at the start of his career.
It's A Lasting Joy For Anand L Rai
As per Times Now, Rai mentioned, 'There is tremendous pride and lasting joy in watching a debutant filmmaker find his voice. To see Ashish win the National Award for Best Debut Director for Aatmaphaplet is joy in its purest form. It is the kind of moment that reaffirms why we built Colour Yellow to take creative risks, back new talent, and let the most heartfelt stories speak loudly. Today, Ashish has strengthened my belief that the most powerful stories are often the most personal. I feel incredibly fortunate that we could play a small part in his beginning. I extend my most sincere gratitude to the esteemed jury and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for this humbling recognition. Receiving this honour is a moment of great pride for all of us who believe in the power of sincere storytelling."
What Else For Marathi Film Industry?
Along with Aatmapamphlet, Naal 2, directed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, also won the Best Children's Film award. Both films received Swarna Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 3 Lakh each. Another winner was Shyamchi Aai, which was named the Best Marathi Feature Film, directed by Sujay Dahake. That's not all, child actors from Naal 2, Treesha Thosar, Shrinivas Pokale and Bhargav Jagtap, took home the Best Child Artist award, along with Kabir Khandare from Gypsy.
Although Ashish Bende's film was made on a minimal budget, it was screened at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival in 2023. The film received a loud and cheerful response from the audience.
First Published:
August 02, 2025, 12:15 IST
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