Kannada films have won four awards at the 68th National Film Awards for films of 2021 announced in New Delhi on Friday.
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Late actor Sanchari Vijay’s last film Taledanda, won the Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation. Filmmaker Praveen Krupakar dedicated the award to Sanchari Vijay, who plays a mentally-challenged person trying to save trees in the film. “Sanchari Vijay has acted so well in the film, I was hoping he would again be posthumously adjudged the best actor and was not expecting an award for the film as such. But I dedicate this award to Sanchari Vijay,” he said.
Auteur filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli’s documentary on renowned Hindustani vocalist Pt. Venkatesh Kumar Naada Navaneeta: Pt. Venkatesh Kumar has been adjudged the Best Arts and Culture Film. The documentary has been produced by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Karnataka.
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Mr. Kasaravalli, speaking to The Hindu, expressed happiness at the film being recognised by the national film awards. This is the 16th national film award for him. Pt. Venkatesh Kumar also expressed happiness at the film bagging the award and said that his students enjoyed it. “I did not know that documentaries also bag awards. But it feels nice that the jury has liked the film,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sagar Puranik’s debut feature film of 2021 Dollu has won the Best Kannada Film award, apart from bagging an award for Best Audiography in Feature Films. “I am very happy that my first feature film has bagged a national award. The film examines the effects of globalisation and urbanisation on folk art forms like Dollu Kunita. My first short film Mahan Hutatma had also won a special jury award at the national film awards earlier,” he said.
Jeetige (Deevatige-traditional torch), directed by Santhosh Mada, with Naveen D. Padil as the lead actor won the award for Best Tulu Film. The film was based on COVID-19 pandemic wherein a Daivaradhane Paathri (spirit worshiper) eagerly awaits the return of his son working on a ship that was stranded somewhere due to the pandemic. The movie depicts the ordeal of the common man during the pandemic.