Exclusive | Selvi's Sailesh Rathnakumar And Anjali Patil On Busan Film Festival Win: ‘It's Going To Give A Lot Of Hope’

Selvi, the Tamil independent feature directed by Sailesh Rathnakumar and starring and produced by Anjali Patil, has won two awards at the Busan International Film Festival. On Wednesday, the film received the Hylife Vision Award and the Taipei Film Commission Award after premiering in the festival’s Vision–Asia section.

Director Sailesh Rathnakumar and actor-producer Anjali Patil tried to keep their expectations in check at Busan, where Selvi was one of only two Indian productions selected for the Vision–Asia section.

In an exclusive conversation with Outlook India, the director and actor-producer spoke about the unexpected double win, what it means for independent Tamil cinema and their plans to bring the film to Indian audiences.

Selvi's double win at Busan was unexpected

Despite packed screenings and encouraging audience responses, the team had decided against expecting awards. Sailesh Rathnakumar says that simply being at Busan and meeting audiences who connected with the film already felt like an honour.

“There was a little bit of human expectation because the film had resonated and was received so well. So yeah, may be a little bit, but we decided to be calmer,” he tells us.

The first award brought relief, but the second was entirely unexpected. “The second award was not even in the corner of our brain,” Sailesh Rathnakumar shares, describing the team's reaction.

He adds that the team was delighted with what Selvi had brought their way.

For Anjali Patil, who plays the titular character and is also the film's producer through her banner Anahat Films, feels that the awards recognises the collective effort behind the project.

She says that the recognition made the team feel that the energy invested by everyone involved had been worthwhile. It also gave them “a lot of strength and courage to continue to tell stories which are very rooted and which have a lot of life”.

Sailesh Rathnakumar on independent Tamil cinema and India release

Sailesh Rathnakumar sees the win as a new opening for independent Tamil cinema, although he believes its impact will become clearer when the film reaches audiences in Tamil Nadu. He also links Selvi to the international recognition received by other Indian films this year, including All We Imagine as Light and Shape of Momo.

“It's going to give a lot of hope to a lot of independent filmmakers just like us,” he says, adding that the recognition would encourage filmmakers to keep telling authentic stories from India.

What's next for Selvi

The film's next stop is the 50th São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, where it will compete in the New Directors competition. The team is also hoping to secure an Indian festival premiere before its domestic release.

Anjali Patil reveals that the team was working with a six-month release window and planning impact screenings across India. These would bring together healthcare professionals and other working-class audiences who could relate to Selvi's demanding life as a homecare nurse.

“This impact screening will give us a path to take our film to the entire India,” she concludes.

Selvi's Oscar submission remains uncertain as team weighs release plans

Asked about an Oscar submission, the team said the world premiere at Busan had been its immediate priority and that it had not submitted the film. The possibility of a future submission remains uncertain, with eligibility and practical requirements still to be considered.
For now, the filmmakers are focused on finding the right path for Selvi. As Rathnakumar put it, “Whatever the film offers us, that is what our journey is.”

The team is still considering the best distribution strategy, with Rathnakumar saying they intend to trust their intuition and give the film the best possible life.