Chennai: Movies from South industry, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tulu and Konkani, had an amazing run winning a total of 18 awards at the 64th National Awards, announced on Friday.
And precisely, it was a ‘Super 6’ for Tamil film industry. While the critically lauded political satire Joker directed by journalist-turned-filmmaker Raju Murugan bagged two awards, which include Best Tamil Film and Best Playback Singer male – Sundar Iyer - for the song Jasmine, actor Suriya starrer sci-fi thriller 24 won three honours – Best Cinematography by Thiru, Best Production Design by Amit Ray and Subratra Chakraborty, and Best Visual Effects.
Ace lyricist and six times national award winner Vairamuthu got his seventh honour for his song Endha Pakkam for Vijay Sethupathi film Dharmadurai directed by Seenu Ramasamy.
Film producer Dhananjeyan bagged the Best Critic Award.
VAIRAMUTHU
“I am happy to receive the award from the President for the 7th time. Tamil is acknowledged among the 22 official languages of the country and it stands first when it comes to film music and my contemporary society is glad about it. It is a proud moment for the language and not for me. I am only a tool,” Vairamuthu told DC.
He added, “In Seenu Ramasamy’s Dharmadurai, the song I penned Endha Pakkam Kaanum Podhum and composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja discourages anyone who attempts to commit suicide. My lines convey the meaning that life never ends with any failure and it opens doors for your next step. And that’s what the heroine reminds the hero through my lines. Besides entertaining people, the art of cinema should create positive thoughts in them. The award makes me more responsible in future”.
DHANANJAYAN
It is an honour to win the national award for the second time. My articles in various newspapers about contemporary issues that affect Tamil cinema have won an award. I don’t just write about issues but also try to offer solutions. At this juncture, I thank the press, media and friends for being supportive and am glad to have won such an award for Tamil cinema. (One may recall that Dhananjayan’s book on History of Tamil Cinema had won a national honour).
JOKER TEAM
PRODUCER PRABHU: Even as we were making the film which is a political satire, lot of people told me that it would fetch a national award. I also had the gut feeling that it would make it big. There’s a little disappointment since we expected an award for protagonist Guru Somasundaram who simply excelled in the film.
DIRECTOR RAJU MURUGAN: I don’t write scripts keeping awards in mind. Similarly, when I made Joker, my only focus was to make it perfectly and bring the film to the theaters for the audiences to see. And this kind of political satire reaching the audiences and now having bagging an award is a recognition and an eye-opener for the future filmmakers that ‘freedom of expression’ is rewarded. And secondly, the theme on contemporary issues is being reflected with the youth of today who raise their voices, which is heartwarming.
The recognition is very significant. More than getting an award from international arena, this is from our own soil and the country’s highest honor.
ACTOR GURU
SOMASUNDARAM: It’s an amazing feeling. All the characters in the film travelled in the same wavelength and hence the film did so well. I am very happy.
