Why: Guneet Monga, a powerful producer in her own right, used her platform to support and amplify women-led stories. She not only co-produced the Tamil drama Soorarai Pottru (2020), directed by Sudha Kongara, but also joined Ekta Kapoor and Tahira Kashyap to launch Indian Women Rising, a cinema collective aimed at empowering women in the film industry. The group backed the Oscar campaign for director Karishma Dev Dube’s short film Bittu, one of the 10 films which made it to the Academy Awards’ Live Action Short Film shortlist.
Consistently created relatable, endearing youth-centric content across languages
Directed and co-wrote an emotionally intimate take on the underdog boxing film
His second feature was one of the year's best films and won big at the Venice Film Festival
For his incredible breakout portrayal of Harshad Mehta