Ask anyone in Kollywood what recognition they desire the most and they’ll tell you about the ‘Golden Lady’. Yes, the much-coveted Vijay Awards is back and how!
This season, the Gionee Smartphones 8 Annual Vijay Awards will have 29 ‘best’ and 5 ‘favourite’ award categories. With leading tinseltown celebrities being a part of it, it looks like the awards evening – to be held on July 5 in the city - will celebrate all the people behind and in front of the camera.
Even as the buzz about the awards has kick-started on social media, the organisers held an inaugural event to formally launch the awards. Tuesday evening saw Spencer Plaza wearing a festive look, with several star-struck onlookers peering at the arena where the event took place. Speaking on the occasion, legendary director K. Balachander said, “This is a big event that happens every year and I, like everybody else, look forward to it. The ‘Golden Lady’ has become a much sought-after trophy for everyone in the Tamil film industry.”
When asked about the new wave in Tamil cinema that has thrown up several young filmmakers, he said, “The creativity of all these directors gives me immense joy. You are all like a tsunami – a tsunami that should never stop hitting.”
The members of the jury, who will be selecting the best of the work in front of them, include Yugi Sethu, Prathap Pothen and Ravi K Chandran. “This award is like a pat on the back for all the filmmakers and artists who have put their heart and soul into a project,” said Yugi Sethu. Considering all the three of them have carved a niche for themselves in tinseltown, are there arguments when it comes to deciding the nominees and winners? “Oh yes,” he said, “It is a huge challenge to pick the best from among so many films. We do have friendly fights but we ensure that we go for the ones who deserve it the most.”
While the last few seasons saw a Bollywood presence — Shah Rukh Khan rocked the Vijay TV Awards stage last year — this year promises to be much bigger, primarily because of the influx of many young talents in Tamil cinema. What greater honour can one ask for, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan, once famously asked on receiving an award here. For the youngsters and established artists and technicians, the next few weeks will be something to look forward to.
The voting for the favourite awards category starts tomorrow. For details, log on to >www.vijayawards.in
