Vasan Bala's upcoming action comedy, Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, about a man suffering from congenital insensitivity to pain, won the People's Choice Midnight Madness Award at the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It was the first Indian film to be selected for the Midnight Madness segment at TIFF. The quirky actioner edged out films like Assassination Nation and Halloween to bag the top honour.
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota marks the film debut of veteran actor Bhagyashree's son Abhimanyu Dassani. The 28-year-old Mumbai-based newcomer was selected for the role after rigorous audition rounds and intensive martial arts training.
Speaking about the pre-release achievements of the film, Abhimanyu said, "It feels great, yes. Getting selected for the Midnight Madness was a huge honour in itself. It's the first Indian film to make it. The kind of appreciation the film is receiving internationally is phenomenal. It speaks volumes about Vasan sir's talents. I am hoping for a similar reaction in India. It is my debut film and I feel very overwhelmed with the love I have received."
Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota co-stars former TV actor Radhika Madan, who will also be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming film, Pataakha.Sharing her reaction, Radhika said, "It feels pretty much like a dream. We were quite an underdog at the festival. Our film's budget was less than a week's budget of the other films. I feel very delighted to win the People's Choice Award. The feeling is yet to sink in. When we went up on stage, we couldn't believe our luck and kept looking at each other. We weren't expecting to finish the film on time and make it to the festival, let alone win this award."
Vasan Bala made his directorial debut with the crime thriller film, Peddlers (2013). He was a co-writer and second unit director on Anurag Kashyap's Raman Raghav 2.0 and Bombay Velvet. He also assisted the Manmarziyaan director on Gulaal and Dev D.