Indian independent cinema has achieved a significant international milestone as filmmaker Shashank Walia’s Punjabi-language film Birds in the Dark wins two major honours at the 31st Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. The film received the Songwon Vision Audience Award – Asia and the prestigious New Currents Award, marking an impressive achievement for Walia’s debut feature.
The recognition has brought international attention to a story rooted in rural Punjab and its complex social realities. Speaking to Mid-Day from South Korea, Walia expressed happiness that a film created with the participation of people from five villages in Punjab had connected with audiences in Korea.
For the filmmaker, the recognition represents more than personal success. It celebrates the collective effort of the people who contributed to the film and helped bring its story to the screen.
Birds in the Dark Wins Two Major Awards at Busan
The biggest highlight of the film’s journey has been its double victory at the Busan International Film Festival, which concluded its 31st edition on October 15, 2026.
The first honour was the Songwon Vision Audience Award – Asia, recognising the film’s strong reception among festival audiences. The second was the New Currents Award, which celebrates outstanding emerging filmmakers and significant new voices in Asian cinema.
Winning both awards marks an important beginning for Walia’s directorial career. The achievement also places a Punjabi-language independent production in the international spotlight.
According to festival coverage, the film made its world premiere in the festival’s Vision section before receiving the honours. Its success demonstrates how regional Indian stories can find audiences beyond their language and geographical boundaries.
Shashank Walia Says the Award Belongs to Punjab’s Villagers
Reacting to the film’s success, Walia highlighted the contribution of the people who helped make the project possible.
The director said he had always believed that Birds in the Dark could connect with audiences around the world. However, seeing a story made with people from five villages in Punjab receive such a warm response in South Korea made the recognition particularly meaningful.
Walia also expressed hope that the film would resonate with people who believe in love, mutual assistance and solidarity as ways to build a more just and compassionate world.
His remarks underline the collaborative nature of the production. Rather than viewing the awards solely as an individual achievement, the filmmaker credited the communities that contributed to the film’s creation.
What Is Birds in the Dark About?
Titled Hanere De Panchi in Punjabi, the film is written, shot and directed by Shashank Walia. The black-and-white drama explores themes including caste, gender, class, labour, justice, sexuality and love.
Set against the backdrop of rural Punjab and agrarian resistance, the story examines social divisions, unequal power structures and the struggles of marginalised communities.
The film follows characters whose lives intersect amid questions of justice, personal relationships and solidarity. Its narrative brings attention to the experiences of people whose stories are often underrepresented in mainstream commercial cinema.
The decision to shoot the film in black and white gives it a distinctive visual identity. Combined with its rural setting and socially grounded narrative, the approach helps establish a serious, intimate atmosphere.
The film features Mauli Singh, Sapna Das, Harwinder Singh Aujila, Navdeep Bajwa and Shahnawaz Bhat in key roles.
Hansal Mehta and the Producers Celebrate the Achievement
Producer Hansal Mehta, who backed the project alongside Reema Kaur and Sahil Saigal, also welcomed the film’s international recognition.
Mehta highlighted the importance of audiences embracing fresh filmmaking voices and responding to stories that prioritise human experiences over spectacle.
The production brings together a creative team committed to exploring themes of gender, labour, justice, love and resistance. Its success at Busan offers encouragement to independent filmmakers working with regional languages and socially relevant narratives.
Reema Kaur, who also worked on the film’s editing, and Sahil Saigal were part of the production team behind the project under the True Story Films banner.
Why the Busan Victory Matters for Indian Cinema
The success of Birds in the Dark is significant because it demonstrates the international possibilities of Indian independent cinema.
Regional-language films often operate with different resources and distribution opportunities compared with large commercial productions. Recognition at a major international festival can help introduce such films to new audiences, industry professionals and potential distributors.
The film’s emphasis on caste, gender, labour and solidarity also demonstrates how stories rooted in specific communities can explore issues with broader human relevance.
Although festival awards do not automatically guarantee commercial success, they can strengthen a film’s visibility and create opportunities for wider recognition.
For Shashank Walia, the double win marks an important milestone in his filmmaking journey. For Punjabi cinema, it offers another example of a regional story earning international attention through its artistic vision and social relevance.
With two major honours from Busan, Birds in the Dark has established a strong start to its festival journey, while Walia’s achievement highlights the growing visibility of new Indian filmmaking voices on the global stage.
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