With superstars Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan bagging the best actor awards for 2007 and 2008,there were few surprises when the state government announced film awards for the last two years on Monday,save one. Even as he presents the honours to those selected by the award committee,Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will take home the best dialogue writer award for 2008 for the film,Uliyin Osai (The Sound of the Chisel). Written first for DMKs mouthpiece Murasoli in 1964 as Saarapallam Chamundi,the story revolves around the life of a master craftsman who was among those who built the big temple in Thanjavur,1000 years ago. The film version was an average success. The jury selected Uliyin Osai for two other awards: best comedian for Kovai Sarala and best choreographer for Shivasankar. While Rajnikanth won best actor award for 2007 for the film Sivaji,Kamal Haasan won the 2008 award for Dasavatharam. The Chief Minister has been credited with writing a number of stories and screenplays during the formative years of his party,as the Dravidian movement utilised theatre and subsequently cinema as a medium of delivering their message.
