Sanju Surendran's Malayalam film Khidki Gaav (If on a Winter's Night) has won four awards at the fourth Gange Sur Seine Indian Film Festival in Paris, which ran from October 9 to 13.
Film: Khidki Gaav (If on a Winter's Night), Malayalam
Festival: 4th Gange Sur Seine Indian Film Festival, Paris (October 9 to 13, 2026)
Best Director: Sanju Surendran
Best Actress: Bhanu Priyamvada
Best Editing: Praveen M.K.
Fourth award: Best Screenplay (recipient not named in reports)
Writer: Rekha Raj
Sanju Surendran was named Best Director, Bhanu Priyamvada won Best Actress and Praveen M.K. won Best Editing. The fourth award was for Best Screenplay. Festival listings credit the film's screenplay to Rekha Raj, but the reports do not name who received the screenplay award. One report lists the four categories as direction, acting, screenplay and editing. A four-member festival jury picked the winners.
A festival run that began in Busan
The film tells the story of a young Malayali couple dealing with love, loneliness and the search for a place of their own in Delhi's Khirki village. It had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it won the Hylife Vision Award, and was screened in the Museum of Modern Art's New Directors/New Films series in New York. Cinematographer Manesh Madhavan won Best Cinematography for the film at the Reborn India Film Festival.
About the Paris festival
Founded by filmmaker Chayan Sarkar, Gange Sur Seine focuses on independent Indian and South Asian cinema beyond mainstream Bollywood. This edition screened shorts, features and documentaries at Club de l'Étoile and Majestic Passy.
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