Singer Shashaa Tirupati is one of the National Film Award winners who will not be handed over the prestigious honour by President Ram Nath Kovind here on Thursday. She says she feels terribly disrespected and that the thrill is now gone. The 65th National Film Awards ceremony, where 137 awardees will be felicitated, will take place here later on Thursday. But not many are excited about it as they were when the winners' list came out last month. Shashaa bagged the best female playback singer for Vaan varuvaan from Kaatru Veliyidai, directed by Mani Ratnam. Its composer A.R. Rahman also won the music direction National Award for the Tamil film. "Yeah, but not from the President. There are only 11 people who are going to get awards from the President," Shashaa told IANS.
But does she feel disappointed? The singer added, "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." (ALSO READ - 65th National Film Awards: A group of winners to boycott the ceremony? Here's the truth)
What makes it more disappointing for her is that the recipients were told about this when every one was here and families had left or reached Delhi. "There was not enough time to intimate them. We come here to get the award from the President and not from another government official. The letter that we received clearly stated that the award will be presented to us by the President of India. When something contrary happens, you kind of lose hope in the system. Accepting it would mean, you are okay with anything basically. You don't know what to believe in and what not to," said the singer, who is accompanied by her mother. What do you guys have to say about this development? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section below!
