Nine National Awards Put Tollywood on Top

HYDERABAD: Tollywood emerged as one of the biggest winners, bagging nine honours at the 72nd National Film Awards on Saturday. The awards were spread across blockbuster entertainers, content-driven films, and technical categories.

'Committee Kurrollu', directed by Yadhu Vamsee, was adjudged the Best Telugu Film. The film also won the Best Make-up Artist Award for P. Ravi Kumar. Prabhas-starrer 'Kalki 2898 AD' won two honours - Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Production Design Award for Nitin Zihani Choudhary.

'35 Chinna Katha Kaadu' won the Best Children's Film Award and fetched Arun Dev Pothula the Best Child Artist honour.

'Pushpa 2: The Rule' won awards for Best Original Screenplay for Sukumar and Best Costume Design for Deepali Noor and Sheetal Sharma. Director Venky Atluri's 'Lucky Baskhar' earned the Best Dialogue Writer Award, completing an impressive tally for Telugu cinema.

Director Yadhu Vamsee was elated after 'Committee Kurrollu' was named the Best Telugu Feature Film.

"We are on cloud nine. This recognition has boosted our confidence and inspired us to continue telling rooted stories," he said.

Thanking producer Niharika Konidela, he added, "We are grateful to Niharika garu for believing in our story. The entire cast and crew worked tirelessly to bring this emotional tale of friendship, village life and relationships to the screen. This honour belongs to all of them."

Producer Ravi Shankar Yellamanchili of Mythri Movie Makers expressed his delight over 'Pushpa 2: The Rule's impressive haul.

"We are extremely happy to receive these prestigious awards for 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'. The Pushpa franchise has been unique because it has achieved phenomenal commercial success while also earning critical acclaim through the National Film Awards, which is a rare combination," he said.

He credited actor Allu Arjun and director Sukumar for the film's remarkable journey.

"Allu Arjun had already won the National Award for 'Pushpa: The Rise', and his performance in the franchise has been exceptional. Sukumar deserves immense credit because his innovative screenplay and gripping narrative revolving around red sanders smuggling captivated audiences across the world. These awards are a proud recognition of the team's hard work," he added.

National Award-winning producer Raj Kandukuri said the recognition reflected the growing diversity of Telugu cinema.

"I am genuinely happy for all the winners. Winning a National Award is always a special honour for every actor, filmmaker and technician," he said.

"What makes this year's achievement even more satisfying is that awards have gone to both big commercial entertainers and content-driven films. While 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' and 'Kalki 2898 AD' have once again showcased the scale and technical excellence of Telugu cinema, films like 'Committee Kurrollu', '35 Chinna Katha Kaadu' and 'Lucky Baskhar' prove that meaningful storytelling is also receiving national recognition."

He said the awards would encourage a new generation of filmmakers to experiment with fresh ideas.

"These honours bring immense prestige and inspire young filmmakers to think differently. Telugu cinema has been shining brightly on the national stage over the past few years, and I am confident we will achieve even greater success in the years ahead," he concluded.