'Proud Moment for All': 'Parking' makers credit entire team for 71st National Award hat-trick win

Harish Kalyan starrer Tamil film Parking swept the 71st National Film Awards with three awards. The movie helmed by debutante Ramkumar Balakrishnan won the Best Regional Movie in Tamil, Best Screenplay Awards (shared with Telugu movie Baby) and Best Supporting Male Actor for MS Bhaskar, at the 71st National Film Awards 2023, announced today by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

Talking about the same, producers KS Sinish and Sudhan Sundaram said, “We are truly honoured to receive the National Award for Best Regional Film, Tamil. This recognition is a moment of immense pride and validation for the entire Parking team. I would like to sincerely thank our director, Ramkumar Balakrishnan, whose unusual and bold thinking gave shape to a narrative that, while domestic in setting, speaks powerfully to a global issue: how urban space, ego, and boundaries affect human behaviour and relationships. Right from the beginning of the narrative process, we strongly believed that Ramkumar is a fantabulous storyteller, and it’s so great to see him win the honours for ‘Best Screenplay Award.’ The producers conveyed special thanks to Harish Kalyan and MS Bhaskar, whose compelling and layered performances anchored the film with honesty and emotional depth. This award belongs equally to our talented cast, committed crew and everyone who walked with us on this journey. MS Bhaskar sir has been undoubtedly one of the undoubtedly, the greatest actors of Indian Cinema, and we as producers are so happy that he has achieved National fame with our movie Parking. On behalf of the Parking Team, we also congratulate the other winners, especially our very own GV Prakash Kumar, who also brought laurels for the Tamil Cinema industry by winning the ‘Best Music Director’ Award in Dhanush starrer Vaathi.”

Parking tells the story of Eshwar, a newly married IT professional, and his pregnant wife, who move into a duplex apartment, only to enter into an escalating conflict with their downstairs neighbour, Ilamparuthi, over a shared parking space. What begins as a minor disagreement soon turns into a study of pride, power, and psychological unravelling, a sharp commentary on contemporary urban coexistence. The film was released in theatres on December 1, 2023, to strong critical acclaim and later premiered on Disney+ Hotstar.