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John Cassavetes Award 2025 winner: Richa Chaddha and Ali Fazal, after their historic victory at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Award, are thinking of making more such films in the future with pride and expectation.
'Girls Will Be Girls' Wins John Cassavetes Award 2025
'Girls Will Be Girls' created history by winning the prestigious John Cassavetes Award at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. It has become the first Indian film to receive this honor, which is considered one of the world's most prestigious Awards and is a major achievement for Indian cinema. The award is given every year to the best films whose budget is less than $ 1 million, and 'Girls Will Be Girls' made their special place among all the contenders.
This beautiful pair of Richa and Ali are a proof of their creative strong partnership and the strength of independent cinema. Let's see what they have to say about their achievements.
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You both made the finest independent film 'Girls Will Be Girls that is the first Indian film to have created a history of winning the Prestigious John Cassavetes Award at the 2025 Film Independent Spirits Award?
Richa: Really, this victory is like a dream come true. I feel very proud that we made a film like Girls Will Be Girls. This is not just mine, but the victory of the entire team, who trusted this story. It is very special for me to get this honor as an independent cinema maker and an Indian artist. This indeed is an achievement, this award is given to the best films that are less than one million dollars and girls will be girls have made it's special place among all the contenders. You all know. We work hard, believe in the story. Leave the rest to the viewers. We were just hoping that people could assimilate the essence of 'Girls Will B Girls' and the response received was overwhelming . It was such a response like the world said, "We are seeing you, we understand you."
Ali: Yes, this victory is very important for us and for Indian cinema. The real essence of independent cinema is to present the truth without any fear, no matter how difficult it is. We have to do it right. This is a story of breaking boundaries, feeling liberal and making history, and I am proud to be a part of this film. "
It is as if you plant a little seed, and one day it turns into a beautiful tree. We knew that the vision of Shuchi (Talati , director) was special, but to see it blooming like this… it is magical.
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So, this is 'John CassavetesAward,' and it is for the best small budgeted films, right? Less than a million dollars. How was it to make such a film?
Richa: (Smiling) This is like creating a divine painting with limited colors. You have to be both creative and resourceful. We had a wonderful team, everyone was very enthusiastic. We shot in beautiful places, but it was not always easy. We had to spend every rupee smartly.
Ali: Absolutely. You no, it is made with heartfelt enthusiasm not expensive equipment. We focused on the story, characters. We have artists like Kani Kushruti, Preeti Panigrahi and Keshav Binoy Kiran, and they were all amazing in the lead roles. They filled such authenticity in their role.
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Richa, you are the first Indian actor and producer to win this award. This is a big thing, right?
Richa: (Richa smiles, she looked very beautiful while smiling) This is definitely overwhelming But it's is not just my victory. It is the victory for every storyteller, every filmmaker who dare to dream big with limited resources. This is for all women who want to tell their stories.
Ali, You and Richa produced this film. How was it to work by stepping out of the camera zone?
Ali: This is a different feeling, as an actor, you focus on your character. As a producer, you pay attention to large canvas. You are making sure that it proves to be one of India's best-coming off-edge and female-centric films. It's vision of every frame remains true. It was a learning experience, and it was also very satisfactory.
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"Girls Will Be Girls" is the story of a young girl who is searching for her identity and adolescent age related desires at a boarding school. This is a very real, honest story. But why did you decide to tell this story?
Richa: Because these stories should be told. We need to talk about adolescents, growing up, and complexities of being a woman. We wanted to show that these experiences are universal, that girls from all over the world face the same things.
Ali: It is the story of understanding the stereotypes and making a decision of right and wrong. This story is a sign of development in Indian cinema. We are telling real, relevant stories.
What do you expect from "Girls Will Be Girls" and what do you think people will learn?
Richa: I hope everyone watches this film. I hope they understand that it is okay to be incomplete and it is okay to make mistakes. I want this film to encourage conversation, especially between mothers and daughters.
Ali: I hope that young filmmakers gets inspired to tell their stories, no matter how small or big. I hope this film can show what is the place of Indian cinema on the world stage.
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So, what is the next step for your house production, 'pushing button studios'?
Richa: (Smiling) We have some new plans. We want to continue to tell meaningful, impressive stories. We want to support new voices, new talents.
Ali: We have already started. We are excited about the future.
This victory is a very big moment for Indian cinema. What does this mean for the future of independent films?
Richa: This means that if the vision is right, the story is powerful, the acting is super and direction is done correctly, then we can compete with the best in the world. This means that we can tell our stories in our own way.
Ali: This also means that we are breaking the obstacles. This means that we are opening doors to new generation filmmakers. This means that the honest and sensitive story of the film has touched the audience deeply. This is not just an award, but the confirmation of the story we wanted to bring to the world. It is a loving project, and it is an incredible feeling for us to be appreciated in this way. "(Ali also said that he and his wife Richa have been good friends for a long time, and in an artistic form of this friendship It is very special for them.
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One of the most special things of this big winning ceremony is - - one of the winners of other big categories included Anora and Jesse Eisenberg's A Real Pain. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are known to honor the excellent work of independent cinema, and the historic victory of girls will be girls reflects the global identity of Indian cinema.
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It is important to understand many aspects related to the ideology of Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal. Their inspiration and unity are reflected not only in their work but also in their perspective. They choose stories that are often left out of mainstream films, and in this process they focus on important issues of society.
Their plans for their next projects (one of the project is 'Aakhiri Somvar') are equally interesting. According to the report, they are planning to work on a new film, which will be based on social justice and human rights. It's purpose is not only to entertain the audience, but also make them think deeply.
Apart from this, Richa and Ali have also decided to ensure that they promote new talents. They believe that to empower cinema, it is necessary to give a platform to new faces along with creativity and dedication.
Not only this, Ali and Richa are also considering starting various initiatives and campaigns to spread awareness on social issues. This will not only increase the responsibility of filmmaking but will also give them satisfaction to have a deep connection with his fans.
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