Chennai: The state government's prestigious Kalaimamani awards are being revived after a gap of eight years and a total of 201 artists would be conferred the awards.
All the winners will receive the awards from Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami at an official function to be announced later.
Many eyebrows have gone up with the government announcing the awards enmasse for eight years from 2011 till 2018. Though the awards ought to have been conferred every year, it came to a grinding halt in 2010 and no award was given thereafter.
Kalaimamani awards are given away by the Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram (literature, music and theatre) for excellence in the field of art and literature.
On Thursday, the state government announced Kalaimamani awards for years 2011-2018 and noted film personalities include Vijay Sethupathi, Prabhu Deva, Suresh Krishna, AM Rathnam, Yuva Shankar Raja, Rathnavelu, Director Hari, Priyamani, Santhanam are among the awardees.
For 2011 actors: R Rajasekar, P. Rajiv alias P Rajasekar, Kutti Padmini, P Pandu, Choreographer Puliyur Saroja, Playback Singer B.S. Sasirekha and Costume Designer P Kasi have been chosen.
For 2012: actors S S Senbagamuthu, T Rajashri, B R Varalakshmi, Playback Singer Gana Ulaganathan, Director Chitra Lakshmanan and Cinematographer Babu alias N V Anandakrishnan, 2013: playback singer R Krishnaraj, Paravai Muniyamma, T Velmurugan, actors: Prasanna, Nalini, R Pandiyarajan, Kumari Kanchana Devi, Sarada, T P Gajendran, stunt master Judo K K Rathnam, 2014: actors: Ponvannan, Director Suresh Krishna, playback singer Malathi and choreographer N A Thara, 2015: actors: Madhu Balaji, Prabhudheva, director: A N Pavithran, music director Vijay Antony, lyricist Yugabharathi, cinematographer R Rathinavelu and playback singer Gana Bala, 2016: actors: Sasikumar, MS Bhaskar, Thambi Ramaiah, Suri, 2017: actors: Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Singamuthu, director Hari, music director Yuvan Shankar Raja, producer Kalaignanam and photography Seshadri Nathan Sugumaran and stills Ravi, 2018: actors: Srikanth, Santhanam, producer A M Rathnam, cinematographer Ravivarman and playback inger Unni Menon.
