Director Neeraj Ghaywan has been on a winning streak with his debut film Masaan. The 36-year-old, who gave up a corporate job to pursue his passion, has now been nominated in the Best Debut Director category at the Times of India Film Awards 2016 (TOIFA). He had nurtured the movie's idea for more than seven years, even before he entered Bollywood as an assistant director. He attributes its success to writer Varun Grover, who worked with him for two years and fleshed out the idea into a full-fledged screenplay.

The director is happy that his film, which tackles the existential crises faced by human beings, has bagged several awards. He says, “The TOIFA nomination is a healthy sign. It shows how films are being perceived in the current milieu. Even collectively, storylines of movies are improving in our industry. Credence is being given to films that may not be juggernauts, but have a soul.“