The Hindu : Front Page : Films should bring about social change: Pratibha

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Front Page

Films should bring about social change: Pratibha

Madhur Tankha

Filmmakers should highlight social evils, upholding the dignity of women: President

— Photos: S. Subramanium, AFP

Star-night: President Pratibha Patil gives away the National Film Awards for 2006 at a function in New Delhi on Tuesday.Those receiving the awards are: Dilip Kumar (Lifetime Achievement Award)

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday presented the 54th National Film Awards for 2006 at the Vigyan Bhavan here.

Ms. Patil said Indian cinema was the largest in the world as over a thousand films were made in different languages annually. “According to the Central Board of Film Certification, Indian films are watched by a 25 million Diaspora as they capture a range of diversity. Films should not only be a medium of entertainment but also a means to bring about social change. They have tremendous psychological impact on individuals.”

Pointing out that women in our country had to bare the brunt of many social evils, the President said: “Filmmakers need to highlight this fact in a sensitive manner so as to uphold the dignity of women.”

As veteran filmmaker Tapan Sinha could not attend the function, his family member received the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award on his behalf.

The award for the best popular film of 2006 providing wholesome entertainment was given to Bollywood super-hit “Lagey Raho Munna Bhai” that revalidated the philosophy of non-violence in a strife-torn world and helped to rediscover the Gandhi within the common man. It also won national honours for best lyrics (Swanand Kirkire), best screenplay (Raj Kumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi) and best supporting actor (Dilip Prabhavalkar, who portrayed Bapu).

Soumitra Chatterjee (Best Actor)

Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee bagged the best actor award for the Bengali film “Podokkhep.”

Priyamani won the best actress award for portraying the ferocity of love as a firebrand village girl in the Tamil film “Paruthi Veeran.”

Actor Dilip Kumar, singer Lata Mangeshkar and veteran actor Saroja Devi were selected for the one-time Lifetime Achievement Award. The audience gave standing ovation when Mr. Kumar came to receive the award. On behalf of Ms. Mangeshkar, her relative Adinath Mangeshkar accepted the award.

Konkona Sen Sharma won the best supporting actress award for her role in “Omkara.” Divya Chahadkar bagged the best child artist award for her role in the Konkani film “Antarnad.”

Directors Madhu Kaithapuram and Kabir Khan bagged the Indira Gandhi Award for the best first film of a director for “Eakantham” (Malayalam) and “Kabul Express” (Hindi).

The Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on national integration has been bagged by the Kannada film “Kallarli Huvagi.”

Priyamani (Best Actress)

Gurdas Mann received the best playback singer award for “Waris Shah Ishq Da Waris” (Punjabi), while the award for the best female playback singer was bagged by Aarti Anklekar Tikekar for “Antarnad” (Konkani).

The Special Jury Award-2006 went to Vishal Bhardwaj for “Omkara” for an outstanding film that synergises international treatment with an earthy rooted sensibility.

The award for the best feature film in Hindi went to “Khosla Ka Ghosla” for portraying the middle class struggle against the real estate mafia.

Madhur Bhandarkar, who was declared winner of the best director award for “Traffic Signal,” said he would donate Rs. 2,50,000 to the families of three farmers from Vidharbha who committed suicide in the face of financial hardship.

Divya Chahadkar (Best Child Artist)

For non-feature films, the winners included Mike Pandey for his environment-related film “Kalpavriksha-Legacy of Forests” and Public Service Broadcasting’s Rajiv Mehrotra received the National Award for “Mere Desh Ki Dharti.”

The National Award for the best writing on cinema went to Jerry Pinto for his book “Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb.”