Tamil film Kuttram Kadithal bagged the Best Film award of the Puducherry Government at the five-day Indian Panorama Film Festival which got underway here on Friday.
Chief Minister N. Rangasamy inaugurated the festival at Big Cinema (Rukmani Theatre) and presented the Sri Sankaradass Swamigal Best Film Award to G. Bramma, director of the film, at the event organised by the Department of Information and Publicity, Navdarshan Film Society and Alliance Francaise.
The award, named after the theatre thespian, carries a memento and a cash prize of Rs.1 lakh.
Mr. Rangasamy said the purpose of holding the Indian Panorama Festival was to motivate young producers and directors to make films on social upliftment. Cinema is a powerful medium to address social issues and to drive home good messages, he said.
Kuttram Kadithal Director G. Bramma said that the award instituted in the name of Sri Sankaradass Swamigal was a special one for him as he had made his debut in dramas before moving to cinema.
The script also had its genesis in Puducherry about four years back when I discussed and finalised it with my friends on the Beach promenade.
The film was not a commercial hit due to easy availability of pirated DVDs, he said.
Mr. Bramma also requested the Chief Minister to control video piracy trade which was thriving in Puducherry. The film was screened, marking the beginning of the festival.
The following movies will be screened on successive days at the fete, which ends on Tuesday: Bodhon (Bengali), Munnariyippu (Malayalam), 1 December (Kannada) and Ankhon Dekhi (Hindi).
The Directorate of Film Festivals functioning under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi, will select the films for Indian Panorama.
Every year, such selected films are screened in the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India, which will be reviewed by National and International film critics and journalists.
