It came as no surprise when Shimit Amin's Chak De! India, a gritty tale of Indian women hockey players that also starred 90 Australian players and over 9,000 Australian extras, won the Best Film Award at the 5th Australian Indian Film Festival gala night in Sydney today.

Indian heartthrob Akshaye Khanna received the Best Performance Award for his role in Gandhi My Father at the glittering ceremony hosted for the first time at the Museum of Contemporary Arts, situated on the Harbour foreshore overlooking the iconic Opera House.

The awards were chosen by an esteemed group of Australian film critics, including Peter Thompson (Showtime), Margaret Pomeranz (ABC TV At The Movies), Nell Schofield (Channel 9), Marc Fennell (Triple J), Adrienne McKibbons (Metro Magazine) and Ian Taylor (ABC TV).

Back home, Chak De! India has won applause from audiences and critics alike.

"I am encouraged to do something different. Chak De! India has been great for Indian audiences at home and abroad," Amin said.The Sydney festival, which has writer and director Yash Chopra as its patron, is attended by over 40,000 people each year.

Full story: