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Cinema First

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Are We Indians a race of petty     and jealous people?

Grand National Conference and     Awards of INFLUX GROUP

Eye And Care You

Firoza Punthakey Mistree     Follows Suit.

Manufactured Sandalwood

Jamshed S. Wadia a.k.a.     Dinshaw Mehta(?) Writes

National Awards Late & Limping

Popular Winners Rob Dignity

Do not be shocked if you read or see the news coverage that National Film Awards have been announced this June, for the works of 2006 and not 2007. Half a year has passed since all popular. Awards gave their prizes for the previous year. But the govt.'s Film Festival Directorate needs one and half years to decide.

These once prestigious awards which raised lots of curiosity and expectations about our one dozen regional cinemas and the all-India Hindi, of the artistic and unusual type, have now come down to the level of trophies and scrolls doled out by weeklies, monthlies, TV channels and some sponsor-bodies based abroad. The sheer delay is a mockery of deserving films and talents.

Who would remember the films which came two years back and how would an award benefit them, especially if they were flops and forgotten? Even tax exemption would be meaningless, as re-issue costs will be too high. Since there is a flood of films and sequels now-a-days, the public would get them mixed up with other unworthy ones in their second run.

The whole inside machinery is cumbersome and always under pressure from the ministries and politicians who want to favour their own groups and vote-banks. First the application forms have to be collected, film prints sent to Delhi before a dead-line, rules to be observed etc. Then a committee is appointed to spend several days seeing three to four films every day. The sub-panels submit their choices and merge into the central Jury. Discussions with voice-voting or hand-raising decide the final choices. No explanations are given for what was dropped out and by how many votes. Nor any justifications about the winners, except citations packed with jaw-breaking words that cannot be understood.

While several good films of 2007 will have to wait for one year, awards have been declared for films which had their day long back, like " Lage Raho Munna Bhai " and " Omkara ". Those like " Traffic Signal ", " Kabul Express " and " Khosla Ka Ghosla " were in a low key due to their themes, cast and credits. But the awards will not give them a chance to be seen widely by the mass of cinegoers. Regional films as in Gujarati, Marathi or Punjabi would look even more old. This only outlet of course would be Doordarshan at odd without proper hype.

Moreover the Awards are strangely trying to limp their way to cheap popularity. "Lago Raho" exploited a streak of Gandhian philosophy with sheerly laughable "tapori" stuff and never got serious about the whole thing. Four awards given to it look ridiculous. But the limit is the one for lyrics which had cheap language and meaning, like 'kissing car' and other things. The film cannot even qualify for best wholesome entertainment, since rough-neck tactics are shown being used at every stage by Dutt and Warsi.

Actor Prabhavalkar doing the role of Gandhi (who was awarded for two films) does not exactly qualify for a great performance. Delivering dialogue softly with chuckles and taunts hardly brings out the great Mahatma persons which was so multi-sided. In fact the role is like Gandhi given at a discount to moderners racing in the fast crooked lane. A saving grace is that the best actor's top award went Bengal 's veteran Soumitra Chatterji. To the dismay of many Bollywood heroines of Bombay , the top best actress was South's Priyamani for a Tamil film.

" Omkara " though inspired by the Bard's "Othello" had dirty language galore and vulgar scenes meant for adults. (This cuts its chances on D.D. also). A special jury Award for its director Vishal Bhardwaj will make him proud, though why he had to cheapen the theme for mock realism is not acceptable. But Kabir Khan surely deserves it for " Kabul Express ", though he was named as best debutant director. He indeed did a committed job of showing conditions in post-war Afghanistan , shooting in very rough terrain and giving it the tempo of a thriller.

"Omkara" did not bring anything to Saif or Kareena, the much trumpeted pair. But Knokana Sen was given the supporting actress prize, though the role did not have much meat in it. Another film with good intention and execution but stooping to cheap street language and level was " Traffic Signal " and " Page 3 ", Madhur again used debased talk and behaviour of characters in " Traffic Signal ", which indirectly glorified begging at corners, con-tricks, hawking on footpaths and even the flesh trade by women and inches. It seems the authorities were keen on pleasing and being akin to the masses, with an eye on the next year's elections. In that case they will have to hold free shows of these films on roadside, say during holy festivals, in coming projects being promoted, " Khosla Ka Ghosla " can be seen as the common man's champion for housing problems against building sharks.

To conclude, a little probe shows that the centre might have influenced the jury thru the relevant Ministry (I & B) to decide awards as per a pattern. " Lage Raho " is upholding the Gandhi image as against B.J.P,'s postures. " Omkara " has a lot of dark and ugly men (dalits). The characters of " Traffic Signal " are footpath dwellers and slum-valas (many of them scheduled castes). And "Khosla" stands for the middle class, lower and middle. The Awards are supposed to please all of them and win their votes. It may be naive thinking, but in the process the greater harm done to the social fabric is overlooked. Do we want a whole new generation of semi-taporis and the country to bloom on lower depths? At least art and culture should be away from all this. But then are they not thinking of giving election ticket to famous "Tapori" Dutt himself?