Cinematographer and film director Santosh Sivan, a four time National award winner for Best Cinematography for Perumthachan (1991), Kalapani (1996), Iruvar (1998) and Dil Se (1999) is a jury member at the prestigious Pusan Film Festival which will feature his movie Tahaan in the competitions.

Knowing that there is a chance of controversy, the director clarified: “I’m on the jury for films by first-time and second-time directors. Tahaan has been selected for the main festival that is for the market and for showcasing world cinema.” The festival begins on October 2.

Tahaan, which was shot in Jammu and Kashmir, is expected to be a big Bollywood release in October. The film is about eight-year-old Tahaan, who lives with his grandfather, mother Haba and older sister Zoya in Kashmir. They all hope that someday Tahaan’s father, who has been missing for over three years, will return. The movie stars Purav Bhandare, Victor Banerjee, Sana Shaikh and Sarika.

Santosh Sivan's previous venture was his first English language movie, Before the Rains, which will be screened at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival. The movie is set in the backdrop of 1937s in Kerala when roads were being constructed through hills for spice trade. It tells the story of a Britisher Moores, an ambitious entrepreneur who plans to build a road through the mountain that will eventually be used to carry tea and spices. But while his wife is away in England with their son, he begins an affair with the local housemaid Sajani. But Moores' right-hand man is caught in the crossfire when the ultra-orthodox village leaders hear of the transgression. What all happens after this forms the rest of the plot.

Before the Rains stars Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Jennifer Ehle, Linus Roache and John Standing among others. The movie is mostly in English with some dialogue in Malayalam. The script was written by the late Cathy Rabin.