National awards - delayed not denied

The announcement of the winners of 53rd National Awards for 2005 has came a year late but the delay hasn’t taken away the thrill from the winners. Be it Amitabh Bachchan or Anupam Kher, all the recipients are happy to be honoured with the country’s most prestigious film awards.

Anupam, who has won the special jury’s award for his performance as the demented Gandhian in “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara”, told IANS from Simla: “It feels good to be awarded for a film that I produced and which is so close to my heart. This project caused so many heartburns, if you know what I mean.

“I’m sure there’re people out there who are not very happy with my victory in a Gandhian film. All I can say to them is, Gandhiji ki jai ho.”

Amitabh Bachchan, who will receive the best actor award for playing a reformed alcoholic who struggles to give a physically handicapped child a new life in “Black”, says he is humbled to get his third National Award.

“This is my third National Award. I had won my first National award for my debut film K.A. Abbas’ ‘Saat Hindustani’. The second was for ‘Agneepath’. I feel honoured, humbled and happy that the third National Award is for ‘Black’, a film which I hold very close to my heart,” said Amitabh.

However, some people have questioned why “Black” is getting the award for best Hindi film since a large portion of the dialogues are in English.

But film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not the least concerned about controversies.

He said: “Since I’m a near-stranger to the National Awards I’m very happy to get whatever the jury decided to give me. ‘Black’ was a very special film. And the fact Amitji has got the National Award for best actor makes it all the more special.

“I only wish Rani Mukerji had also won. Though I’m sure Sarikaji is stupendous in ‘Parzania’, Rani, I feel, is extraordinary in ‘Black’. Such a performance cannot be encored.”

Rahul Bose, who played lead role in Budhadeb Dasgupta’s “Kaal Purush”, which has won the award for best film, is over the moon.

“I can’t believe my lucky streak. First, the retrospective in Toronto and now ‘Kaal Purush’ wins the National Award for best film. It’s a great honour because it was my most challenging work to date. I had to learn a special strain of Bengali for the part and get into a role that required severe acclimatisation,” said Rahul.

Rahul’s new Bengali film “Anuranon” with Raima Sen is running to packed houses in Kolkata.

“Can you believe it?” asked Rahul. “Now that I’ve found fame in Bangla maybe Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s ‘Kaal Purush’ will finally release. Though the Bengali spoken in the two films is very different.”

“Rang De Basanti” won the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment while the best direction award has gone to Rahul Dholakia for “Parzania” in English.

Sarika will receive the best actress award for her role in “Parzania” as a “crusading mother who fights for justice against all adversity in a communally-charged environment”.

The Indira Gandhi award for the best first film of a director went to Hindi film “Parineeta”.

The Nargis Dutt award for best feature film on national integration has gone to the Malayalam film “Daivanamathil”.

“Iqbal” in Hindi has been named the best film on other social issues such as prohibition, women and child welfare, anti-dowry, drug abuse, and welfare of the handicapped.

Naseeruddin Shah has been named best supporting actor for his competent depiction of an endearing man who finds it difficult to give up his addiction to alcohol but still emerges victorious as his protégé the young village lad achieves his dream in “Iqbal”.

Another special jury award has gone to Rakesh Sharma’a “Final Solution”, a hard-hitting documentation of the Godhra incident, its aftermath and the abetment of large-scale violence.

– INAS

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