Chennai: The Gollapudi Srinivas national award 2017 goes to Konkona Sen Sharma for her debut film A Death in the Gunj (English / Bengali). The film was selected from 23 nominations from across the country in many languages including English, Malayalam, Tamil, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada.
The jury consisted of Mr Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, Ms Swarnamalya Ganesh and Mr Krishnan of Kavithalaya.
Set in 1979, A Death in the Gunj is a coming of age story, about a shy student Shyamal Chatterjee. He uses a family road trip to McCluskiegunj, an old Anglo-Indian town, as an escape from his failed semester. At the outset, the makings of a perfect family holiday are in place but something is amiss. In the week that follows, Shutu's quiet unravelling is overlooked by the family revellers, until the holiday ends with an implosion.
The award, comprising a cash prize of '1.5 lakh and a memento will be presented at a ceremony to be held on August 12. Established in 1998, this trust envisages to perpetuate the memory of Gollapudi Srinivas a young director, who tragically passed away in an accident during the shoot of his maiden venture in 1992.
