Sayani Gupta is celebrating her birthday with another recognition, adding to a series of awards and festival appearances over the past month. The actor received the South Asian Screen Excellence Award at the International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA) in Toronto on her birthday.
Sayani is attending the festival as Guest of Honour, where her directorial debut, Aasmani, is being screened alongside her summit session, Becoming a Star, Remaining an Actor. She joins a list of previous award recipients that includes Shabana Azmi, Boman Irani, Imtiaz Ali, Tillotama Shome and Deepa Mehta.
The IFFSA honour marks Sayani’s second win in Canada in two weeks. At the International South Asian Film Festival (iSAFF) in Vancouver, she received the Leadership in Film Award 2026, while Aasmani earned an Honourable Mention for Excellence in Short Film Making. The festival also recognised her contribution to cinema through her role as a jury member for Excellence in Feature Filmmaking. The film held its Canadian premiere at the festival, drawing a full house.
The recognition for Aasmani has continued across other festivals. Last week, the film won Best Short Film at the Atlanta Indian Film Festival. In Boston, Sayani received the Best Director (Short Film) award for the project, while its young actor, Daria Bedi, won Best Child Actor.
Alongside her work as a filmmaker, Sayani has also received recognition for her acting. She was named Best Actress (Web Series) at the 14th Indian Cine Film Festival 2026 for her portrayal of Damini Rizvi Roy in Four More Shots Please! Season 4. She has played the character across all four seasons of the series.
The past month has seen Sayani travel across several cities and countries for screenings, festival appearances and award ceremonies. Her schedule has included Washington, DC, Toronto for TIFF, Boston, Chicago, Vancouver and Atlanta, with further stops in Tokyo and Kerala. Aasmani is also set to screen at several other festivals, including La Femme International Film Festival in Los Angeles.
From participating in jury panels to attending screenings and receiving awards, Sayani has spent the month balancing her work as an actor with the festival journey of her directorial debut. The film’s run has brought recognition to her work behind the camera, while her recent acting award highlights her continued presence on screen.
Now in Toronto for the IFFSA South Asian Screen Excellence Award, Sayani has another reason to mark her birthday. With the honour arriving on the same day, the occasion adds a personal milestone to a month of recognition for her work as an actor and filmmaker.
The post Sayani Gupta wins IFFSA South Asian Screen Excellence Award on her birthday appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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