India films

The National Awards announced recently have tossed up interesting trends.

The National Awards announced recently have tossed up interesting trends. For one,the resurgence of Marathi cinema as many as 11 awards across categories earning it a second place next only to Tamil cinema and winning over Malayalam movies. Ananth Mahadevans Mee Sindhutai Sapkal added up the points as did Baboo Band Baaja,Champions and Malaa Aai Vhhaychay. Considering that only a few years ago,Marathi cinema was struggling for survival,the awards that have come in the wake of a resurgence fuelled by corporate funding of regional cinema suggest that things are gradually falling in place. This would be among the rare years when Bengal has not had a dominant presence in the award sweepstakes with just three winnersGoutam Ghoses Moner Manush (it won the Nargis Dutt Award for best film on National Integration),Ami Aadu and Memories In March (English). A pity really,considering it is Rabindranath Tagores 150th birth anniversary.

However,be that as it may,the good news is that such developments will only serve to heighten the interest in good regional cinema and cross-pollination across languages. Already,Hindi mainstream cinema is borrowing heavily from the South. Remakes such as Ghajini and Wanted among the actioners and the Priyadarshan comedies are examples. And then,of course,there is the craze for Rajani-sirs films such as Enthiran/Robot (which landed an award for Special Effects).

The South is returning the compliment by remaking a few Hindi films such as 3 Idiots. A Wednesday!,Jab We Met,and now,Tanu Weds Manu. With Marathi cinemaMee Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy,which according to reports was loosely inspired by Lage Raho Munna Bhai the creative exchange is few and far-between but that may change,considering the current trends. Interestingly,Manjrekars critically-acclaimed Astitva released in both Marathi and Hindi.

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Hindi and Bengali cinema have shared close ties for long and thats likely to continue what with new-age Bengali filmmakers now looking to remake Hindi blockbusters in Bangla. Why,some of Hindi cinemas classics like Parineeta and Devdas have been taken from Bengali cinema. For such creative synergies to flourish,it is important that honours and felicitations are extended to deserving efforts across regions. The National Awards this year could well be a small step in that direction.

Meanwhile,it was interesting that in Hindi films,the small and big co-existed (Star Screen Awards set the tone earlier this year with Udaan and Dabangg among others). Dabangg continued its successful run,landing an award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment while Do Dooni Char landed the award for Best Hindi Film and Ishqiya,the honour for Best Female Playback Singer and Audiography.

Mixing it up across budgets,regions and languages in the end,can only mean better cinema.

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National Awards

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