From Assam to Tribeca Festival: Rajdeep Choudhury’s “A Teacher’s Gift” makes its mark

A heartfelt story about the transformative power of teaching has taken a significant leap onto the global stage with the official selection of “A Teacher’s Gift” at the renowned Tribeca Festival Lisboa. This milestone celebrates not only the film’s compelling narrative but also the remarkable journey of Rajdeep Choudhury, the Assam-born actor and co-writer whose performance brings to life the film’s emotionally complex protagonist.

In “A Teacher’s Gift,” Choudhury portrays Rohan, a Hindi teacher in London whose classroom confidence masks deeper complexities. The character’s backstory—a boy who once gave temple tours to visitors in India’s village, spoke fluent English despite challenging circumstances, and found solace in reading—creates a rich foundation for Choudhury’s nuanced performance.

When young Rohan in the film is asked where he got his books, his response that “the books fell from the sky” becomes the story’s quietly miraculous thesis about knowledge as grace and the mysterious ways teachers appear in our lives.

Directed by Artur Ribeiro and produced by Eric Ollerenshaw OBE (former MP, History teacher and LSE graduate), the film brings together some of the industry’s most respected talents, including Anthony Calf (Holby City, New Tricks, King Charles III Broadway), Anjali Patil (Newton), Dhruv Sehgal (Little Things), Varun Buddhadev (RRR), Virgílio Castelo (one of Portugal’s most celebrated stage and screen actors), Jacinta Mulcahy (Emmerdale, Phantom of the Opera), Anita Booth (Coronation Street, Holby City), and American-Portuguese actress Paula Lobo Antunes (Infernal Machine).

At its heart, the story explores what happens when past and present collide — when someone who has spent years running from his history is forced to confront painful truths. Without giving away its carefully layered emotional journey, the film follows Rohan as he navigates relationships that challenge his ideas of love, mentorship, identity, and, most importantly, his “teacher’s gift.”

Choudhury delivers what can be called a performance of remarkable emotional range, shifting from boyish enthusiasm to haunted vulnerability often within the same scene.

The film’s approach to sensitive themes, including subjects that remain hush-hush in Indian society, demonstrates the kind of courage that authentic storytelling demands. It treats questions of identity and love with remarkable sensitivity, acknowledging difficult realities without sensationalising them.

This courage extends to Choudhury’s own career choices. His willingness to co-write and star in a story that tackles complex themes reflects an artist unafraid to take creative risks, whether in Bollywood productions or international collaborations.

Of small-town dreams and global stages

Choudhury’s artistic journey began in Silchar, Assam, where childhood performances in school competitions nurtured a curiosity for the stage that would eventually lead him across continents. What started as local theatre participation grew into a determination that took him first to Mumbai’s competitive film industry, then to London’s creative landscape.

His breakthrough came with “Jack and Dil,” followed by steady appearances in productions like “Dangerous,” “Mister Mummy,” and “IRaH.” But it was his move to London that truly expanded his horizons, where he began not just acting but writing and developing stories for the screen. His short films “Jackpot” and “London Pandit” showcased his ability to weave contemporary themes into engaging narratives, earning recognition on digital platforms.

In a recent interview with India Today NE, Choudhury was asked what message he would give to aspiring actors from the Northeast. His response was both heartfelt and resolute: “Dare to dream, and believe in your dream,” he said. “If you have the talent, nobody can stop you.”

Choudhury’s success arrives at a pivotal moment, as creative voices from Northeast India are increasingly stepping onto national and international stages. Filmmakers such as Meghalaya’s Dominic Sangma (Rapture), Sikkim’s Tribeny Rai (Shape of Momo), and Assam’s Tuhin Kashyap (Kok Kok Kokoook) are helping redefine the region’s cultural presence. Against this backdrop, Choudhury has carved his own path; building a professional footprint that spans Bollywood, British cinema, and global streaming platforms, while staying deeply connected to his roots in the Northeast.

The festival that celebrates innovation

Tribeca Festival, born from the ashes of 9/11 as an act of cultural resilience in Lower Manhattan, seems the perfect stage for a story about finding strength in unexpected places. Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002, the festival has evolved from a film-focused event into a multidisciplinary celebration of storytelling across mediums.

As ‘A Teacher’s Gift’ — supported by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) — prepares for its Tribeca debut, its central philosophy resonates far beyond the fictional classroom: “a good teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.” Through Choudhury’s portrayal of Rohan, the film shows that the most profound transformations emerge from the courage to confront our deepest truths, reminding us that the greatest lessons often arrive when we are ready to receive them—and that the most transformative teachers are those who help us see ourselves with clarity.

“A Teacher’s Gift” will have its European premiere at the Tribeca Festival, Lisboa. The film recently debuted at the Indian Film Festival in Melbourne, 2025, and won the Flame Award for Bridging Cultures at the UK Asian Film Festival 2025.