Dia Mirza-backed Marathi film Panha wins Best Indian Short Film award at ALT EFF

Dia Mirza-backed Marathi short film, Panha has won the Best Indian Short Film award at the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF). Directed by Sakshi Mishra, the film follows a family of mango farmers facing eviction from their ancestral land due to a bullet train project.

Speaking about winning the award, Dia said in a statement, “This win is for the farmers who opened their homes and hearts to us, and for every child whose story deserves to be seen and felt. Cinema, to me, is at its most powerful when it reminds us of our shared humanity.”

Sakshi added, “Panha was never about spectacle — it was about stillness, intimacy, and listening. The farmers of Maharashtra didn’t just lend us their orchards; they trusted us with their lives. This award belongs as much to them as it does to our team.”

The curtain raiser for ALT EFF took place on December 4 in Mumbai. The festival will go on till December 14 and is dedicated entirely to cinema for environmental change, with a spotlight on screening films on wildlife, sustainability, and climate action.