Meera Srinivasan
Tamil feature film ‘Sringaram’ bags three awards
CHENNAI: The announcement of the National Film Awards for 2005 on Tuesday brought good news not just to the Tamil film industry but also to Chennai, which is home to many of the winners.
‘Sringaram’ bags three
Tamil feature film ‘Sringaram’, directed by Sharada Ramanathan, has won awards in three categories, namely Best Music Director, Best Cinematography and Best Choreography. Violin maestro Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, who scored the music for the film, said the news came as a pleasant surprise.
“I am very happy that my first attempt in film music has received a prestigious award,” he says. Though Mr. Jayaraman got several offers earlier in his career to score music for films, he had politely refused them. Even for this film he was initially hesitant to take up the project, but later agreed after Ms. Ramanathan, a fan of the musician, persisted.
“I agreed because the director gave me complete freedom. I consciously used only classical instruments for the songs and background score so that the feel of the film is brought out effectively,” he adds. And thus was born a variety of compositions, ranging from a traditional ‘mallari’ to a breezy folk number, bearing the musicians’s inimitable stamp.
Cinematographer Madhu Ambat and choreographer Saroj Khan also received awards for the same film.
Cheran’s response
Director Cheran’s ‘Thavamai Thavamirundu’, produced by P.A. Shanmugam, has been adjudged the Best Film on Family Welfare. The film won rave reviews for its realistic portrayal of characters and was well received by the audience.
Mr. Cheran said, “Our unit is very thrilled. The film was a success because it was, in essence, everyone’s story. People could easily relate to the characters and empathise with them.”
He is doubly happy, as ‘Aadum Koothu’, a film he was part of, was chosen as the Best Feature Film in Tamil. Speaking on the film produced by Light and Shadow Movie Makers and directed by T.V. Chandran, Mr. Cheran said, “It was a beautiful experience working for the film.”
Director Vasanth received the National Award for the Best Short Fiction Film for his ‘Thackkayin Meedu Naangu Kangal’, a Doordarshan and Ray Cinema production. Based on writer Sa. Kandasamy’s story, it is a moving depiction of pride and deprivation in a small coastal village of Tamil Nadu.
“It deals with the generation gap between a grandfather and grandson. The challenge was in portraying this in about 22 minutes.”
The film was shot in Nagercoil, and the director said it features phenomenal performances by actor Veerasamy.
“His powerful portrayal of the role is the main reason for the film’s success. Ten-year-old Ram Saravanan, who has played the grandson, has also performed very well.”
This, Mr. Vasanth said, is his second national award for the film, the first being a letter of appreciation from his mentor, director K. Balachander.
Naresh Iyer elated
An evidently elated playback singer Naresh Iyer, who relocated to Chennai to pursue playback singing, has received the Best Male Playback Singer award. “It is like a dream. I am pinching myself to see if all this is true,” he said.
Recalling the recording session with A.R. Rahman for ‘Rang De Basanti’ (Roo ba roo...), he says he is grateful for the motivation the music director, the lyricist and the director gave. “The experience was amazing!”
The young and bubbly musician recalled his telephone conversation with music director A.R. Rahman: “He was very happy for me and congratulated me. I am particularly thrilled because A.R. Rahman received the National Award and the Filmfare R.D. Burman Award for his first film ‘Roja’. I have received the same awards for my first Hindi film.”
Apart from these, Mumbai-based Tata Elexi has won the ‘Best Special Effects’ award for ‘Anniyan’.