R Gowtham, the director of Sikkalana Kudumbathin Uruppinarhal (Members of the Problematic Family), has won the Young Cinema Award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2026. Gowtham made his directorial debut with Sikkalana Kudumbathin Uruppinarhal.
Sikkalana Kudumbathin Uruppinarhal premiered earlier this year at the Berlin International Film Festival, becoming the fourth Tamil film to do so. Gowtham also became the first Tamil director to have his film screened at the Berlinale. It was the opening film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
The film follows a dysfunctional family, whose bonds break down after the alcholic son passes away. Koozhangal-fame Karuththadayan, Ajith, Uvesri Janardhanan, Kanchana Senthil, TPS, Saravana Siddharth S, and Ashwini S form the cast of the film.
Speaking about the film in an interview with CE, Gowtham said, I am a proper North Madras man. I wanted to show Chennai from Stanley Hospital to Red Hills with a fresh perspective. But I also don't have a fetish for the landscapes, hence I wasn't too keen on sacrificing realism for aesthetics. I chose this as the shooting spot because I was familiar with it."
