Oscar-winning sound artiste Resul Pookutty on Thursday expressed dissent over news that President Ram Nath Kovind will felicitate only 11 out of the total 137 awardees at the 65th National Film Awards ceremony here on Thursday. "If the government of India cannot earmark three hours of its time, they should not bother giving us National Awards. More than 50 per cent of our sweat, you take it as entertainment tax, the least you could do is respect the values we hold dear," tweeted Pookutty, who has won a National Award in the past.
On Wednesday the National Film awardees were informed that a majority of them will receive the honour from Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, while only 11 of them will be felicitated by the President. Pookutty had last month had made his displeasure apparent after he questioned the award committee's decision in adjudging Best Audiography, which has gone to Mallika Das (Location Sound Recordist) for Village Rockstars and Sanal George (sound designer) and Justin A Jose (sound re-recording) for Walking With The Wind. Apart from Resul, filmmaker Rahul Dholakia also spoke up against this issue, when he tweeted, "One of the reason the National Film Awards are prestigious is because they are handed by the @rashtrapatibhvn -not a minister. This is a moment of a lifetime for Film makers; please don’t deprive them of their merit / glory #NationalFilmAwards @smritiirani @Ra_THORe." (ALSO READ - Shashaa Tirupati on not getting her National Award from the President of India: I feel terribly disrespected right now!)
If the Govt.Of India cannot earmark three houres if it’s time, they should not bother us giving us #NationalAward. More than 50%of our sweat you take it as entertainment tax,the least you could do is respect the values we hold dear!
— resul pookutty (@resulp) 3 May 2018
one of the reason the National Film Awards are prestigious is because they are handed by the @rashtrapatibhvn -not a minister. This is a moment of a lifetime for Film makers ; please don’t deprive them of their merit / glory #NationalFilmAwards @smritiirani @Ra_THORe
— rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) 3 May 2018
Singer Shashaa Tirupati, who has bagged the best female playback singer for Vaan varuvaan from Kaatru Veliyidai, also expressed her displeasure at the decision. As she mentioned to IANS, "Dude, let's not talk about it. I feel terribly disrespected right now. It's like the thrill of it is gone now. I was so excited. My father was going to fly down from Vancouver. I am thanking my stars that he didn't. It would have been such an embarrassment because he would have flown down to see me getting the award from the President. National Awards and the President go hand-in-hand. For 64 years, they have been given by the President. When you speak of the National Award, automatically people visualise the President handing over the award to the recipient." What do you guys have to say about this latest development? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section below!
