Celebrating change in cinema

Unlike other awards, national awards bring with them a certain amount of seriousness and credibility.

And it certainly feels good when you are the recipient of this prestigious award, says director Tigmanshu Dhulia, whose film Paan Singh Tomar, a true epic journey of an army subedar and athlete who became a rebel, was awarded the Swarn Kamal for the Best Feature Film by President Pranab Mukherjee at the 60th National Film Award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan recently.

Other recipients of the esteemed award agree with Tigmanshu. “No matter how much we criticise the government for its policies, somewhere deep down in our hearts we hold some respect for authority.

Therefore, as an artist it matters a lot when the government recognises and awards your creative work,” explains Prasoon Joshi, the Rajat Kamal awardee for Best Lyrics of Bolo Na, from the film Chittagong. “Although I receive many awards each year, my father never calls me up to congratulate me but this time he called after the announcement of  the winners list,” shares the celebrated lyricist of films like Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par, Delhi 6 and many more. 

Nikhil Advani, director of popular films like Kal Ho Naa Ho and Patiala House, received the award for Best Animation Film, Delhi Safari; Parineeti Chopra got a Special Mention for her convincing delineation of a dare devil girl in a moving drama of love and tragedy in Ishaqzaade and actor-producer John Abraham received the award for Best Popular Film providing Wholesome Entertainment for Vicky Donor.

Other Bollywood personalities who won the award included Nawazuddin Siddiqui who received a Special Jury Award for his performances in four films, Gangs of  Wasseypur, Kahaani, Taalash and Dekh Indian Circus while Irrfan Khan won the Best Actor for his brilliant effort in Paan Singh Tomar.

For an overwhelmed Irrfan, it was the victory of the entire film crew. Talking to Metrolife, he later said, “We never thought that the film would receive a national award. But today I feel like that it is the victory of the entire team who were a part of Paan Singh Tomar. It is a privilege.”

In the feature films category,  popular Bollywood films to bag the awards this year included Gangs of Wasseypur for Best Audiography (re-recording of the final mixed track) for Alok De; Kahaani for Best Screenplay (original) to Sujoy Ghosh and Best Editing to Namrata Rao while OMG! Oh My God won the Best Screenplay (adapted)
 for Bhavesh Mandalia and Umesh Shukla.

The controversial Vishwaroopam recieved two awards - Best Production Design by Boontawee ‘Thor’ Taweepasas and Lalgudi N Illayaraja and the Best Choeograpghy by Pt. Birju Maharaj; Vicky Donor also bagged the Best Supporting Actor for veteran film and TV actor Annu Kapoor while the Best Supporting Actress was given to Dolly Ahluwalia who shared the same along with Kalpana for Thanichalla Njan. 

Ninety-three year old Pran, one of Indian cinema’s best known villains and upon whom has been conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke award for Lifetime Achievement Award could not make it to the award ceremony on account of health reasons.