A young man loves a young woman of his own tribe but a different religion. They speak Kurukh but it seems a global audience in Kerala has understood them well, proving that the language of good cinema is universal.

Edpa Kana (Going Home) is the first Kurukh language film to win a special jury mention at the 8th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala 2015, held between June 26 and 30 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Directed by Ranchi boy Niranjan Kujur, the 26-minute film on inter-religious tribal love story with dialogues in Kurukh, Sadri and a bit of Hindi was screened in the festival's competitive section on the last day.

Though it missed the best film award in the short fiction category narrowly, it received a special jury mention.

"The film gracefully navigates between the world of orthodox tribal society and the modern one portraying choices that today's generation makes, that sometimes come in conflict with tradition," said the citation that Kujur received at the award ceremony on Tuesday evening.

Kujur, in his early 20s and waiting to pick up his diploma from Calcutta's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), said he was "pretty amazed at the reaction".

"It was humbling to see film festival viewers and jury taking interest in a film that focuses around the lives of youngsters and their family members from the Oraon tribe speaking the same Kurukh language but practising Sarna and Christian faiths. I'm glad my Kurukh film crossed over to reach a very, very different audience," Kujur said over the phone.

The Telegraph had spotted Kujur's talent (Here's to breaking brave new ground on camera, May 28) for his realistic cinematic language.

His protagonist Ashok Bhagat, the Oraon boy who practises Sarna and loves a Christian Oraon girl is someone many tribal youths would identify with. Kujur himself practices Sarna.

But, making a film on differences between Christian and non-Christian people of the same tribe, sensitively acknowledging social prejudices and telling a story on celluloid at the same time couldn't have been easy.

"We keep hearing this all around us," Kujur told The Telegraph . "So yes, I made a film on something that a lot of people my age identify with."

He shot Edpa Kana last winter as his final-year project with SRFTI funds and technical support from fellow students. "I chose friends and relatives to act. Everyone was untrained but they did great work."

Meghnath, a National Award-winning filmmaker based in Ranchi, said: "I was in Kerala and I can't express how proud I am of Kujur." "He's very young but has shown maturity to pick up serious, even difficult topics," fellow National Award filmmaker Sriprakash added.

Should multiplexes in the state screen Edpa Kana? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com