Decided by online voting and the jury comprising Nikkhil Advani, Farah Khan, Sujoy Ghosh and Sudhir Mishra, director Shubhashish Bhutiani's Mukti Bhawan bagged the best film award. Produced by his father, Sanjay Bhutiani the comedy-drama despite not being nominated in the category won the best screenplay award. Created by the father-son duo, the film showcases the way relationships with parents transform over time giving importance to duty over personal happiness.

The award was presented by producer-director Nikkhil Advani and celebrated author Amish Tripathi. Accepting the award, Subhashish said, "We didn't expect to win best screenplay since we were not nominated in the category but it feels great to be recognised by a platform like this that wants to celebrate new age cinema."

Featuring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl, Bhutiani's tragicomedy dealt as somberly with the idea of death and salvation as it did with the dynamics of human relationships, along with a fresh take on the bond of a father and son. Despite dealing with a topic as the grave, the film turned out to be a rare gem that made the viewers smile.

When asked about his experience working with his father, an elated Bhutiani said, "It was challenging but a lot of fun. I don't think I would have been able to make this film without his guidance. Along the way, we became an interesting team."

News18.com REEL Movie Awards are India's first and only movie awards that recognise and reward new age Cinema that deserve glory as they champion creative storytelling. Independent Cinema has seen a lot of success and international recognition thanks to its unique and noteworthy content and with the introduction of this award, India takes a step to celebrate the grandeur associated with it. ​