The main objective of the national awards is to encourage good and small budget films and explore unknown talent in various fields connected with cinema. But the awards this year not only fell short on this account but also chose to honour those films which are already commercially successful (“ >Bollywood wins big at National Awards ” and >Editorial , both March 29). For instance, the Telugu film Baahubali – The Beginning is no doubt a good film and its director has been honoured with a Padma award, but one fails to understand on what basis it was judged the best feature film given that it was just a hyped and high budget movie with all the commercial elements, and minus a message for society.
Kshirasagara Balaji Rao,
Hyderabad
It is surprising that it took 63 years for a Telugu film to win a coveted award. In retrospect, it is surprising to note how celluloid classics such as Mayabazar , Sankarabharanam or even Meghasandesam missed the awards. In fact, Mayabazar was adjudged the greatest Indian film of all times in a poll conducted in 2013 by a leading news channel. In comparison, Baahubali was average, had a series of special effects and graphics, and was garish.
Maradapu Srinivasa Rao,
Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh
It is sad that there is no criticism of the abhorrent practice of the politicisation of awards given out annually for the best films in India. Though the efforts of the world of art deserve praise and support, the National Awards are not the ultimate form of recognition for movies. There are so many film festival circuits and passionate viewers that the very practice of giving out awards annually has a wholly different purpose than just balancing the “several needs” of a multicultural nation. Indian cinema is definitely greater than Bollywood cinema and this fact should be disseminated by endorsing those movies which have really contributed to the quality of the art form and redefined it rather than emulating Hollywood excesses. The National Awards are seen as a lifeline by those ambitious film-makers who risk everything in trying to visualise their dreams without the support of major production houses or technical professionals. Their work, as independent movies, and often from the non-Hindi speaking world, deserves recognition.
Vishnu Harikumar,
Palakkad
The perennial grouse, rarely vented, but often implied by our cynics is that entries are selected for awards on considerations other than artistic creativity. Cinema is a glaring example of this. The set of parameters is meant to be purely art-related. One has to comment on the system adopted by the state. It recognises the merits of a feature film for the money it generates at the box office and the popular acceptance it gains outside its vernacular origin, if relevant. There would be no anomaly should the state come up with a declaration, or a sort of white paper, dispelling the prevalent conviction that the awards are in recognition of artistic merit. We cannot afford to have a gap between avowed objective and actual practice.
Siddineni Bhava Narayana,
Hyderabad
The diverse template of national awards is a natural reflection of the diversity among Indian films which are in turn a stage for diverse socio-cultural experiences in India. I am happy to note that the national awards do not hint at any polarisation of the awards being distributed in favour of Bollywood movies. The Baahubali ‘phenomenon’ has played an important role in helping market the southern film industry and forcing Bollywood to sit up and take note. Monday’s awards should encourage the Indian film industry as it shows that if good films are made, they will be appreciated.
Amritpal Singh,
Amritsar
