The Telugu film industry burst into revelry as the winners of the 64th National Film Awards were announced on Friday at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The awards for Best Popular Film providing Wholesome Entertainment, Best Telugu Film and Dialogues and Best Choreography were presented to three Telugu films — Sathamanam Bhavathi, Pelli Choopulu and Janatha Garage respectively.
A still from Sathamanam Bhavati
While speaking to DC soon after the awards were announced, director of Sathamanam Bhavati, Satish Vegesna, was elated. “I am excited, of course! Dil Raju called to tell me about the award and I was stunned. The film was appreciated and had given me a sense of purpose, but this recognition has increased my responsibility. What took me by surprise was the nationwide recognition that the film received. There’s a general understanding that both awards and audience appreciation are not possible for a film. But we have got that! What more can we ask for?” he said, adding, “My family is quite elated because they have seen me struggle for the longest time. Now, one after the other, good things are happening ever since the film’s release and it seems that things have finally fallen into place. The good run of the film has made my resolve to work on such films stronger, as opposed to taking the commercial route.”
Meanwhile, Pelli Choopulu won two awards — Best Telugu Film and Best Dialogues. The film’s producer, Raj Kandukuri, is obviously on cloud nine. He said, “This film was a struggle of one year, but winning the National Award was my dream since 15 years. I don’t have the words to describe how I feel at this moment. But I’d say a film isn’t about a single person and is a complete team effort.” Raj added, “We applied for the awards, but never knew that a small film like this would be recognised. I am happy because Tharun’s (the director) hard work paid off.
Tharun Bhascker and Raju Sundaram
Raj added, “This isn’t a victory of just our film, it is a victory of small films in general. I believe in encouraging young talent, and in short filmmakers who are promising. This award reinstates my belief in them. Our whole team will celebrate soon.”
Meanwhile, speaking about Tharun’s award for Best Dialogues, Priyadarshi, who starred in the film and was appreciated for his dialogue delivery, said, “I think the biggest USP of the film’s dialogues was that they were very relatable. People used to come up to me, and say that they have friends who spoke like me. The recall value is probably the key here.”
Meanwhile, Raju Sundaram, choreographer of Janatha Garage, who was unavailable for comment, had congratulatory messages pouring in for his first ever National Award. Interestingly, both his father Sundaram and brother have been recipients of the coveted award earlier.
