Siddharth Roy Kapur, founder and managing director of Roy Kapur Films, received the prestigious Motion Picture Association Asia-Pacific Copyright Educator of the Year Award at the CineAsia Awards 2023 in Bangkok, for two decades of consistent contributions towards the growth and development of the Indian film industry. He was the only awardee from India to be honoured this year at the award ceremony held on December 7th.
The National Award-winning producer and former President of the Producers Guild of India, has been a tireless advocate for copyright protection and legislative modernisation, and his efforts to create a filmmaker-friendly environment helped shape the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2023 recently passed by the Indian Parliament.
Belinda Lui, the MPA’s President and Managing Director Asia-Pacific spoke of the Association’s admiration for Roy Kapur’s strong commitment to the success of India’s film and television sector. “Over the years, Siddharth Roy Kapur has advocated for a robust copyright and content protection framework to support the interests of filmmakers, and encouraged the introduction of legislation to modernize film classification and better protect IP rights. These efforts have contributed to positive momentum towards the enactment of India’s new Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill. The award is timely and well-deserved.”
Expressing his gratitude for the honour, Siddharth Roy Kapur said, “I am deeply humbled by the honour extended to me by the MPA. This recognition is testament to the dedication of innumerable members of our film industry who continuously strive not only to create and innovate in the present, but also to protect and safeguard our cherished cinematic legacy and heritage.”
Siddharth Roy Kapur has produced some of the biggest blockbusters of Indian cinema like Dangal and Chennai Express. His latest production, Last Film Show, was shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards, only the fourth Indian film to ever make it to that stage. He is the former Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company India, serves as a managing trustee of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI), which organizes the Mumbai Film Festival, and also serves as co-chair of the CII Media & Entertainment Committee. Roy Kapur was elected President of the Producers Guild of India for six consecutive terms, and has been listed on the Variety 500 list of the most influential people in global entertainment for the last six consecutive years. In July 2023, Roy Kapur was invited to membership of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) under the Producers branch.