Awards: Special Jury award, National Film Awards, India Wolfgang Staudte award (now rechristened the Golden Bear for Best Debut), Berlinale Special Jury Award (Netpac), Berlin International film festival Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Documentary, HongKong International film festival Montgolfiere d’Or (Best Documentary) & Le Prix Fip/Pil’ du Public (Audience award), Festival des 3 Continents at Nantes (France) Best Documentary, Apsara Awards (Indian Film industry awards) Best Film, Freedom of Expression awards by Index on Censorship (UK) Silver Dhow, Zanzibar International film festival Special Jury Award, Mar Del Plata Independent film festival (Argentina) Special Jury Award, Karafest (Karachi) Special Jury Award, Film South Asia (Kathmandu) , Human Rights Award, Docupolis (Barcelona) Special Jury Mention, Munich Dokfest Special Jury Mention, Bangkok International filmfest Nominee, Best Foreign Film, Grierson Awards (UK) Special Award by NRIs for a Secular and Harmonious India (NRI-SAHI), NY-NJ, USA Special Award by AFMI, USA-Canada Special Jury Award, Worldfest (Houston)
