India’s Oscar entry Newton secured two wins at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Brisbane, with Rajkummar Rao winning the best actor award and Mayank Tewari and Amit V. Masurkar claiming the award for best screenplay.
Ecstatic over the win, Rajkummar tweeted, “Won the best actor award at the most prestigious APSA 2017. Thank you, Maa. Thank you team ‘Newton’. Don’t stop chasing your dreams because they really do come true.”
Won the best actor award at the most prestigious #APSA2017 (Asia Pacific Screen Awards). Thank you Maa. Thank u team #Newton. Don’t stop chasing your dreams because they really do come true. pic.twitter.com/4GPRqRHyd1
— Rajkummar Rao (@RajkummarRao) November 23, 2017
He also posted a photograph in which the actor, wearing a black bandhgala, is seen kissing the trophy.
The winners’ names were being updated on the event’s Twitter handle, which also gave a glimpse into Rajkummar’s acceptance speech.
“Let’s keep doing this beautiful work, let’s keep making these wonderful stories. Here’s to cinema,” Rajkummar said and thanked his late mother for blessing Newton, read a post on the official APSA Twitter page.
“Let’s keep doing this beautiful work, let’s keep making these wonderful stories. Here’s to cinema!” – @RajkummarRao thanked his late mother for blessing @NewtonTheFilm in his acceptance speech #APSA2017 pic.twitter.com/knbG4jLDqK
— Asia Pacific Screen Awards (@APScreenAwards) November 23, 2017
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta and actor Manoj Bajpayee congratulated the movie’s team. “Congratulations my darling Rajkummar Rao and amazing talents Mayank Tewari, Amit Masurkar. A win at the APSA is a huge achievement and should make India super proud,” tweeted Hansal Mehta, who has worked with Rajkummar multiple times.
Congratulations my darling @RajkummarRao and amazing talents #MayankTewari, @Amitmasurkar. A win at the @APScreenAwards is a huge achievement and should make India super proud.
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) November 23, 2017
Newton is India’s official entry for the foreign language film category at the Academy Awards 2018. Produced by Drishyam Films and directed by Masurkar, the movie revolves around a young government clerk who is sent on election duty to a Maoist-controlled town and how the ideological struggle puts him in an awkward situation.
The award represents the shared common goals of APSA and Unesco, to promote diversity of cultural expression and raise awareness of the value of culture at local, national and international levels.
