Meenakshi Jayan has been awarded Best Actress in the Asian New Talent category at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) Golden Goblet Awards for her performance in the Malayalam film Victoria. Directed by debutant Sivaranjini J, it was the only Indian film selected for competition in this year’s festival, which concluded on Sunday.
Victoria follows a day in the life of a young beautician from Angamaly who plans to elope with her Hindu boyfriend against the wishes of her Catholic parents. Her plans are complicated by the arrival of a neighbour’s rooster, intended for a church festival, triggering a series of personal and spiritual reckonings. Meenakshi’s portrayal has already earned acclaim at home, including Best Performer at the Independent and Experimental Film Festival Kerala (IEFFK).
In an earlier interview with The New Indian Express, Meenakshi spoke about spending two months working at a local beauty parlour to master the craft. She also trained with a dialect coach to perfect the Angamaly accent in preparation for the role. Produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation under its Women Empowerment Grant, Victoria premiered at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala, where it won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film by a Debut Director.
Other major winners in the Asian New Talent section in SIFF included As the Water Flows from China, directed by Bian Zhuo, which won Best Film. Liryc Dela Cruz won Best Director for Where the Night Stands Still, an Italy-Philippines production. Shi Pengyuan won Best Actor for Water Can Go Anywhere from China.
In the main competition, the Best Feature Film award went to Kyrgyzstan’s Black Red Yellow, directed by Aktan Arym Kubat. The Jury Grand Prix was shared by Japan’s On Summer Sand and China’s Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts. Cao Baoping won Best Director for One Wacky Summer from China. Best Actor was awarded to José Martins for The Scent of Things Remembered, a Portugal-Brazil co-production, and Wan Qian received Best Actress for Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts.
