Rajkummar Rao's Newton wins two honours at Asia Pacific Screen Awards

Rajkummar Rao in Newton

India's Oscar entry Newton secured two wins at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane yesterday, with Rajkummar Rao winning the best actor, and Mayank Tewari and Amit Masurkar claiming the best screenplay honour. Manipuri movie, Lady of the Lake won a special mention.

Rajkummar Rao in Newton

"Let's keep doing this beautiful work, let's keep making these wonderful stories. Here's to cinema," Rao said in his acceptance speech and thanked his late mother for blessing the film. Congratulations came in for the team with filmmaker Hansal Mehta writing on Twitter, "Congratulations my darling Rajkummar Rao and amazing talents Mayank Tewari, Amit Masurkar. A win at the APSA is a huge achievement and should make India super proud."

Newton is India's official entry for the foreign language film category at the Academy Awards 2018. Directed by Masurkar, the movie revolves around a young government clerk who is sent on election duty to a Maoist-controlled town and how the ideological struggle puts him in an awkward situation.