Jha named jury chief of National Film Awards

Film Director Prakash Jha was today named Chairman of the National Awards jury. He will head the jury for both the feature film section and the Indian Panorama awards. ‘‘I don’t know if this is good news but it’s responsible news,’’ said Jha. This is the second time that Jha has been selected to be a part of the National Awards jury.

The procedure for selecting this year’s winners will begin on July 8. The announcement comes as a pleasant surprise to Jha as this is India’s 50th year of National Awards. ‘‘Apart from the usual entries from Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, we’re expecting Hinglish films this year,’’ he added.

The National Awards will be announced on July 26.