Konkona Sen Sharma wins best director, best actress awards at New York Indian Film Festival

Konkona Sen Sharma bagged two awards at the 2017 New York Indian Film Festival, winning in the Best Actress and Best Director categories.

NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Konkona Sen Sharma has been selected as the winner in the categories of “Best Director” and “Best Actress” at the New York Indian Film Festival.

The 37-year-old Sharma won the best actress award for her performance in Alankrita Srivastava’s Lipstick Under My Burkha, while she was awarded the best director for her directorial debut, A Death in the Gunj.

The NYIFF announced the list of this year’s winners on its official Twitter page:

#NYIFF2017 Awards Winner Best Actress is @konkonas @chhabs @aroonshiv

— NY Indian FilmFest (@nyindianff) May 8, 2017

“#NYIFF2017 Awards winners Best Director is @konkonas @chhabs @aroonshiv,” another tweet read.

Lipstick Under My Burkha, which served as the festival’s opening-night film, has  been denied a certificate for theatrical release from India’s Central Board of Film Certification for being “female oriented.” The film revolves around four Indian women, from ages 18 to 55 – a burqa-clad college girl, a young beautician, a mother of three and an aging widow – living in a small town who assert their personal and sexual rights.

Sharma’s directorial venture, A Death in the Gunj, is a drama thriller starring Kalki Koechlin, Vikrant Massey, Jim Sarbh, Tanuja and Om Puri in key roles.

The 17th NYIFF, presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, took place from April 30 to May 7 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian