Filmmaker Deepa Mehta Calls Vinod Kapri’s Pyre “Deeply Moving” as Film Wins Top Honour at Toronto Festival

Toronto, Canada: Acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta offered one of the most striking responses of this festival season after watching Pyre, the latest feature by National Award–winning director Vinod Kapri. Presenting the Best Feature Film Award at the 11th Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF), Mehta said the film left her silent for nearly ten minutes—an admission that immediately set the tone for the evening.

Filmmaker Deepa Mehta congratulating Vinod Kapri on his win!

Speaking to a packed auditorium, Mehta reflected on her experience of watching the film just days earlier.

“I saw Pyre a couple of nights ago and I was silent for almost ten minutes—and that does not happen with me very often,” she said. “I was so deeply moved by what I saw…the narrative, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the absolute control of what we all try to do. I learned so much from it—how to be silent, how to celebrate life, how to be moved by it.”

The response drew sustained applause and positioned Pyre as one of the most emotionally affecting films screened at this year’s festival. Coming from Mehta, whose body of work has shaped global understandings of South Asian cinema, the endorsement carried particular weight.

Mehta’s appreciation for the film continued beyond the festival stage. In a post shared on Instagram, she described Pyre as “a beautiful film,” calling it “evocative, thoughtful, moving,” and noting that its humour stayed with her long after the screening. She also singled out composer Mychael Danna’s music, writing that it “added to the magic” and describing the film as “a tribute to humanity.”

At MISAFF 2025, Pyre secured two of the festival’s major awards: Best Feature Film and Best Music, the latter recognising Danna, an Academy Award–winning composer whose score has been widely praised for its restraint and emotional precision.

The Toronto wins add to an already strong international run for Pyre. The film has now collected 16 major awards across global film festivals, including two Best Director honours, placing it among the most recognised independent films of the year.

Filmmaker Vinod Kapri

Reacting to the recognition, Kapri expressed gratitude for Mehta’s words.

“To receive this honour from Deepa Mehta ji—someone whose cinema has shaped generations—is something I will always treasure,” he said. “Her response to the film is truly invaluable to me as a filmmaker.”

Since its festival circuit debut, Pyre has been noted for its quiet storytelling, careful pacing, and attention to emotional detail. Audiences and critics have responded strongly to the film’s use of silence, its measured performances, and the way it allows moments to unfold without overt commentary.

Still from the film Pyre

The Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival, held annually in Toronto, has become one of North America’s key platforms for South Asian cinema. Now in its 11th year, MISAFF continues to spotlight films that privilege artistic control, personal vision, and independent voices—values that Pyre clearly embodied in this year’s programme.