From Nagaland to Oscars: Know all about the journey of “Angh”

From a remote Konyak village in Nagaland to the Toronto International Film Festival and a path towards the Oscars, Angh has brought a rarely seen Naga world to global cinema. Directed by Theja Rio, the film is set in the early 1960s and explores a family caught between ancestral traditions and the rapid spread of Christianity.

A Film Rooted in Nagaland: Angh is set in a Konyak village near Nagaland's border with Myanmar. The story follows Anghba, an ageing hereditary village chief, who belongs to one of the last families in his region still holding on to an ancestral faith as Christianity begins transforming the community. The film uses this setting to explore a period of major cultural and social change. (instagram: junglebookstudio)

Theja Rio Found His Story in Mon: Director Theja Rio said the idea for Angh emerged while he was visiting Mon for another project. He was struck by how different generations seemed to coexist there: a grandfather could be a former headhunter with traditional facial tattoos, while his grandson might play guitar in a rock band. For Rio, this made the region feel as though different periods of history were existing at the same time. (official website)

Shot on 16mm Film: Rio and cinematographer Adam Pietkiewicz shot Angh on 16mm film, drawing inspiration from photographs and footage of missionaries and Naga communities from the 1950s and 1960s. They wanted to recreate the grain and texture of archival imagery while telling the story from the perspective of the people being filmed rather than that of outside observers. Shooting on film also presented practical challenges, with exposed footage sent to Mumbai for processing every few days. (official website)

The Story Behind Angh: The film centres on Anghba and his son, whose relationship is shaped by the changes taking place around them. Anghba resists the arrival of a new faith, while his son becomes curious about Christianity after an American missionary arrives in the village. Scottish actor Douglas Henshall plays the missionary, bringing an outsider's perspective into the story. (instagram: junglebook studio)

From Nagaland to Toronto: Angh had its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it became the only Indian film selected for the Platform Competition. The film won the Platform Prize, a major juried award recognising distinctive directorial voices. The jury praised Rio's perspective and the film's portrayal of a world rarely seen on international screens. (instagram: junglebookstudio)

How Did It Reach the Oscars: The Toronto Platform Prize gave Angh a route towards the 2027 Academy Awards. The win makes the film eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category, although it is important to note that Angh is Oscar-eligible, not yet an Oscar nominee. Its achievement is significant because a debut feature rooted in Nagaland and told largely in the Konyak language has reached the international awards circuit without being India's official Oscar submission. (wikimedia commons)