Biddu wins Lifetime Achievement Award, Sandhya Suri wins Flame Award at UK Asian Film Festival 2025

The UK Asian Film Festival concluded its 27th edition with a grand closing gala at Riverside Studios in London on Sunday 11 May, honouring this year’s winners of the Tongues on Fire Flame Awards. The event brought together key figures from the Indian and British creative sectors and celebrated outstanding contributions to South Asian cinema and culture.

The festival, presented by the not-for-profit organisation Tongues on Fire, is the world’s longest-running South Asian film festival outside the Subcontinent. Known for its commitment to female-centric cinema and stories that challenge patriarchal structures, this year’s festival was themed “Longing and Belonging” and explored migration, identity, love and the human need for connection.

Legendary music producer and composer Biddu received the Golden Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Music. Biddu, a pioneering figure in global pop and disco, was recognised for his decades-long influence on the international music scene.

Other major honours included the Golden Flame Award for Excellence in Cinema & Cultural Journalism, awarded to author and commentator Shobhaa De. Celebrated for her fearless writing and insight into Indian society, De’s contribution to cultural discourse was widely acknowledged.

Veteran filmmaker and broadcaster Yavar Abbas was presented with the Golden Flame Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television. His long-standing efforts to bridge cultures through storytelling earned him this recognition.

Filmmaker Bobby Bedi was honoured with the Golden Flame Award for Producing Powerful Narratives. Bedi’s recent documentary, Kehta Hai Joker (So Says The Joker), about the life and legacy of Bollywood icon Raj Kapoor, was showcased during the evening.

Acclaimed director Sandhya Suri received the Flame Award for Making Waves Internationally for her latest work Santosh, which continues to gain international attention. Meanwhile, Onir was awarded Best Director for We Are Faheem and Karun.

The Flame Award for Best Film went to My Melbourne, which also won the award for “Celebrating Longing and Belonging”, tying in closely with the festival’s 2025 theme. The film explores themes of migration and cultural identity.

Other winners included:

• The Seas Between Us by Faisal Lutchmedial (Best Short Film)
• The Umesh Chronicles (Emerging Curators Choice)
• Netflix’s Chamkila (Film Wallahs Choice Award)
• Don’t Be Late, Myra (Best Long Short)
• Slaves of the Empire (Best Documentary)
• Usman Riaz (Best Debut Director)
• Molshri for Nukkad Naatak (Best Actor)
• Jai Mata Ji – Let’s Rock (Best Regional Film)
• A Teacher’s Gift (Bridging Cultures Award)
• The Collaborator (Best Cinematography)

The festival also hosted several In Focus Q&A sessions, including a special conversation with music duo Vishal & Sheykhar, who discussed their career and upcoming stage musical Come Fall in Love: The DDLJ Musical.

Speaking at the event, UK Asian Film Festival Founder and Director, Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE, reflected on the impact of this year’s festival: “This year has been a profound celebration of British Asian talent standing alongside our international guests—debut directors and actors pushing boundaries, creating against all odds, and confronting stereotypes with courage and creativity. In times of rising fear and division, it is not people we must fear, but the forces that seek to silence, erase, or divide.”

Dr Chowdhry also announced the theme for next year’s 28th edition: “Stories That Bind Us”.

Festival Creative Director, Samir Bhamra, echoed this sentiment, adding: “Our festival became a sanctuary—a space where connection triumphed over division. As we look to 2026, Stories That Bind Us invites us to explore the threads that tie us together—those filled with love and legacy, and those burdened by silence and shadow.”

Media partners Lyca Radio and Geo TV supported the festival’s 2025 edition. Raj Baddhan, CEO of Lyca Radio Network, said: “We’re immensely proud to have been selected as the preferred radio partner. The festival has been nothing short of spectacular.”

Baseem Chagtai, Head of International at Geo Jang Media Group, added: “Geo celebrated the power of storytelling to connect cultures and generations. Together, we worked to amplify diverse voices and champion new talent in British South Asian cinema.”

The UK Asian Film Festival is supported by the BFI Audience Projects Fund and National Lottery funding, and hosted screenings and events at venues across the UK, including BFI Southbank, Picturehouse, Rich Mix, and Warwick Arts Centre.

As one of the most significant platforms for South Asian cinema in the UK, the festival continues to highlight new voices, promote inclusion, and offer audiences the opportunity to engage with powerful, independent filmmaking.