Entertainment Desk:

Towfique Elahi’s “Neelpodmo” (The Blue Lotus), produced by Impress Telefilm and starring Runa Khan, has won the Best Feature Film award at the Tokyo Lift-Off Film Festival 2025.

Speaking to Channel i Online after receiving the award, director Towfique Elahi said, “‘Neelpodmo’ was selected for the Tokyo Lift-Off Festival, and the jury was evaluating it through several criteria. I was receiving regular updates via email, but I did not expect that the film would surpass so many others to win the Best Feature Film award.”

Elahi, visibly elated, described the film as a research-based project. “This is ‘Neelpodmo”s first major recognition. The organisers had already informed me through email, but I learned the news only today as I had not checked my inbox. This is not just my achievement—it belongs to the entire cast and crew, including our streaming partner iScreen.”

The film features performances from Runa Khan and Rashed Mamun Apu in key roles, alongside Rokeya Prachy, Sujat Shimul, Shahed Ali, and A K Azad Setu, among others.

“Neelpodmo” revolves around the lives, identities, and rights of sex workers in Daulatdia. The film had its world premiere at the Suchitra Sen International Bengali Film Festival in New York and was also screened earlier this year at the Dhaka International Film Festival.