Earlier this month, the National Film Awards were caught in a storm of controversy . There has always been a quiet dignity at the ceremony, which stemmed from the fact that the person who gave away the awards was always the first citizen of the country. This time, as many as 55 awardees boycotted the ceremony when it came to be known that the President would give away only 11 of the awards and would also stay at the function for only an hour.
The President’s decision defies reason. On what basis were the 11 awardees chosen (though the decision was left to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry)? While the President presented the award for Best Male Playback Singer to K.J. Yesudas, the Best Female Playback Singer, Shashaa Tirupati, was presented the award by two Ministers. It is hard to imagine the President picking and choosing awardees during the Padma awards or the Khel Ratna awards.
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When the dust of the controversy settles, the question we should ask is: are we witnessing a gradual erosion of the respect and dignity accorded to Indian cinema since 1954, when the first National Film Awards were given away by the President, which is an established convention?
As it is the awards process is long-winded and opaque. It begins with the formation of a committee by the I&B Ministry. Controversy generally arises at the point of selection. How nominees are picked remains a mystery. In the early 2000s, many felt that actress Raveena Tandon received the Best Actress award because her relative was a part of the jury. Last year, Akshay Kumar’s nomination raised eyebrows. But while controversies so far have been raised over the selection process and the nominees’ films or performances, this year’s controversy was unprecedented. With so many boycotting the awards, the President and the I&B Ministry were left embarrassed.
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Held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, the National Film Awards ceremony gives an opportunity to those in Delhi to see people associated with Indian cinema being celebrated for passionate commitment to their craft. There was a certain old-world grandeur to the event and this was because of the presence of the President. All that was done away with when it was decided that the I&B Minister would present most of the awards this year.
When the National Film Awards began in independent India, state patronage of the arts, including cinema, was crucial, as princely sponsors had all but disappeared. Cinema was also the means of integrating the country. It is the diversity of cinema that makes the Awards so special and, in many ways, a tribute to all those who have held India together through the language of cinema. There could be a high cost to undermining the awards and the recipients.
The writer is an Associate Editor at The Hindu in New Delhi