State film awards for 2009-10 in troubled waters

As many as 14 films, including Nagatihalli Chandrashekar’s Olave Jeevana Lekkachaara , were accepted afterthe deadline.

In an unprecedented move, the Information Department is contemplating taking back four State film awards of 2009-10 conferred on two films.

The decision on conferring these awards has been questioned by S. Radha in the High Court of Karnataka on the contention that the applications for these awards were accepted after the expiry of the deadline fixed by the government to receive entries. The government, according to sources in the Information Department, is making an all-out effort to “avoid humiliation” and are appealing to the recipients to return the awards.

Hearing the petition, a single judge of the High Court had recently sought an explanation from the Information Department for accepting the entries after expiry of the deadline.

The petitioner has contented that though the government fixed May 19, 2012, as the deadline to apply for the awards, as many as 14 films were accepted, violating the norm.

Of the 14 films, four awards bagged by two films — Olave Jeevana Lekkachaara, directed by Nagatihalli Chandrashekar; and Raaj-The Showman, directed by Prem — are now in trouble as these two were included after expiry of the deadline. That year’s selection had also faced the allegation of overlooking some important films, such as Kanasemba Kudurayaneri, directed by Girish Kasaravalli, which bagged the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Kannada (2009).

Controversies are not new to Karnataka State film awards.

The government withdrew awards for 2010-11 following a row over selection of films by Bharati Vishnuvardhan. The government had constituted a new committed, headed by film maker S.K. Bhagavan, to select films afresh for that year.

A senior official said attempts were indeed being made to appeal to the four award recipients to return the awards to avoid embarrassment for the government in court. The case, according to sources, has been posted for April 24 for final hearing.