Film maker Mani Ratnam returned the purse of ₹10 lakh — part of the BIFFes Lifetime Achievement Award — that was conferred on him at the the valedictory event on Thursday. After accepting the award, he returned the purse to Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy with a request to ensure that the money be used to help young film makers in the State.
Mani Ratnam is the first film maker to be conferred the award, which was instituted this year.
“I was wary of accepting a lifetime achievement award because it is sort of an indication to quit. But this award came from home, Bengaluru, from where I started my film career. So, I am here,” he said to loud applause.
Reminiscing over his Pallavi Anu Pallavi days in the mid ’80s, he said, “Whenever I passed this road, I always wondered why the government didn’t give this majestic architectural marvel Vidhana Soudha for a film shoot. But I entered the building only today. It took so many films to come inside. It shows that someone will recognise you when you go on doing your work.”
Honours and awards
South Korean film Excavator , directed by Ju-Hyoung Lee, and Bengali film Mayurakshi were awarded the Best Asian Film and Best Indian Film, respectively, in the competition section.
Excavator deals with the after-effects of a violent suppression of a people's uprising. Mayurakshi , directed by Atanu Ghosh, explores the relationship of an ailing father and his NRI son, portrayed by leading actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Prosenjit Chatterjee.
Ishu , directed by Utpal Borpujari, won the Chitra Bharati Special Jury Award. It’s centred around the practice of witch hunting in Assam, depicted through the eyes of a child.
To Let , a Tamil film by Chezhiyan Ra, which vividly portrays the ordeal of a lower middle class family hunting for a rented house in Chennai, won the film critics award in the Indian category.
A total of seven Kannada films were given awards at BIFFes with Reservation , by Nikhil Manjoo, and Beti , by P. Sheshadri, winning the top honours.
