Paddayi has been chosen for the 65th National Film Award 2017 as the best Tulu feature film.
The awards were announced in Delhi on Friday.
Produced by Nithyananda Pai and directed by award-winning director Abhaya Simha from Mangaluru, the film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
It would get the Rajat Kamal and the director and producer each would get ₹ 1 lakh in the award presentation ceremony on May 3.
The film has been considered for the award in the feature film categories of movies in the languages other than those specified in the VIII Schedule of the Constitution.
Mr. Simha told The Hindu that the award has come as a re-confirmation that he was treading the correct path. He was happy. He said that it was the first Tulu film produced using sync sound technology and the first Tulu film to be inspired by Shakespeare’s work.
The film was shot in 21 days between August and October last in Mangaluru region. Many theatre artistes who were products of Ninasam of Heggodu have acted in the film, in addition to actors from Mangaluru.
The film has been chosen for screening in the New York Indian Film Festival 2018 from May 7 to May 12. The film would be released in cinemas probably this June.
Gubbachigalu, a Kannada film directed by him, had bagged the national film award as the best children’s film in 2008.
He has also directed Shikari, a Kannada-Malayalam bi-lingual film and another Kannada film Sakkare.
