It was déjà vu for Vineet Kumar Singh after his film, Superboys Of Malegaon received a standing ovation at the recently concluded 49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The actor-producer — who first attended the festival in 2017 as part of of director Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz (released in theatres in 2018) — is grateful as he reflects on the importance of film festivals.

“It is said that OTT has removed boundaries in cinema. Similarly, when we attend international film festivals, we explore films from all over the world. If your film is good, it opens many doors for you internationally,” he says, as talks about taking Indian cinema to international platforms.

The actor adds that the festival circuit gives artistes the chance to meet people with diverse talents. “Film festivals yeh mauka dete hain ki aap bohot saare behtar filmmakers, writers, directors aur actors se communicate karte ho. Bohot saari possibilities discuss hoti hain. Yeh important hai, kyunki yeh cinema celebrate karte hain, na ki sirf box office ke baare mein baat,” he shares.

Ask about the standing ovation Superboys Of Malegaon received and the actor describes it as a “surreal and magical” experience. Singh goes on to tell us that the audience connected most with the film’s feeling of community. “I didn’t read the script keeping the sentiment of community,” he admits, before adding, “But the audience picked on these various sentiments in the story. What I picked up on [at TIFF] was that the audience saw the story of an impossible dream which is made possible by people coming together,” he says.