Partho 'Stanley' Gupte wins prestigious child actors' award

Actor/director Amol Gupte's son Partho Gupte, who delivered a stellar performance as the quick-witted Stanley in his father's Stanley Ka Dabba, has just brought home a prestigious award.

At the Schlingel International Film Festival that concluded in Chmnitz, Germany, on October 16, Partho won the best actor award, beating 130 young contenders from all across the world.

Schlingel is the only film festival in the world devoted to films for and about children.

A euphoric Amole Gupte said, "It's a very evolved film festival. The quality of films and principal performances are at par with some of the most complex films for adult audiences. We were a litte lost and unsure. There were over 130 films in the competition. When Partho's name was announced on the awards' night, my wife Deepa and I were ecstatic. We never thought Stanley Ka Dabba would have such a long shelf life. And now, the film is being screened at four festivals, including Mumbai Film Festival."

Partho, who is currently the toast of the little German town, is busy giving interviews in English with the help of a German translator.

He tried to be modest about the big achievement. "It's okay," he says. "I guess I am thrilled. But I have a long way to go. Just because I've performed well in one film doesn't mean I'm a good actor. I'm giving lots of interviews here. They want to know everything about my character, like why he eats with his fingers and why he sleeps on the floor, etc etc. I am enjoying answering the questions. But I am getting impatient. Baba and Maa are going to take me to other parts of Germany as soon as we're done here."