Gali Seenu | Your one stop portal for Tollywood updates: 09/10/11

From Arbaaz Khan and Arindam Chaudhuri to Anant Mahadevan and Aishwarya Narkar, they all said that receiving a National Film Award from President Pratiba Patil Friday was a "fantastic moment".

Dadasaheb Phalke award winner veteran Tamil filmmaker Balachander said it is never too late to get an award.

"I feel happy. I'm asked whether the award has come late, and I don't think it's ever late to get an award. Whenever it comes, it is an honour. I am inspired to do more films," he said the director of hits like 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye' and 'Sindhu Bhairavi'.

Hindi blockbuster 'Dabangg' starring Salman Khan won the best popular film award.

"It feels great and it has been a fantastic journey," Arbaaz told IANS when asked to describe the journey of his debut production 'Dabangg' from box office hits to popular awards to national awards.

Arindam Chaudhuri's production 'Do Dooni Char' won the best Hindi film award and he said: "I feel lucky. Awards are an added incentive."

"We have just bought the rights of a book called 'Lashkar'. It's a best seller and I hope the film will also be a best seller. Nothing has been finalised yet, we have just started scripting," added the producer whose 'The Last Lear' and 'Faltu' had won national awards in different categories.

Actress Aishwarya Narkar, who is currently seen in Star Plus show 'Dor' as protagonist Avni's mother, produced 'Champions', which won the best film on social issues award.

"Child labour and child education are an important issues. Government is making efforts to erase child labour but as a citizen of our country we should also do something. And that is the reason I decided to produce the film," she told IANS.

Anant Mahadevan, who has completed 30 years in showbiz, said that it had been long and tough journey and finally he got national award for his film 'Mee Sindhutai Sapkal', a biopic on Sindhutai Sapkal, known as the mother of orphans.

"The degree of cinematic success I have received with 'Mee Sindhutai Sapkal' is great, but the greatest has yet to come. Now I am planning to make a film on Gaur Hari Dastan, a freedom fighter," he said.

List of winners:

FEATURE FILMS

BEST FEATURE FILM: Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam)

Producer: Salim Ahamed

Director: Salim Ahamed

Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,50,000

For a simple yet evocative articulation of humanist values that frees matters of faith from the constrictions of narrow parochialism. The concerns of Abu, son of Adam, are timeless and universal in their scope.

INDIRA GANDHI AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT FILM OF A DIRECTOR: Baboo Band Baaja (Marathi)

Producer: Nita Jadhav

Director: Rajesh Pinjani

Swarna Kamal and Rs 1,25,000

For a riveting tale of a father reluctant to educate his son, a mother who fiercely believes in its liberatory value, and the son who is caught in the crossfire, 'Baboo' is an outstanding debut project by director.

AWARD FOR BEST POPULAR FILM PROVIDING WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT: Dabangg (Hindi)

Producer: Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan and Dhilin Mehta

Director: Abhinav Singh Kashyap

Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,00,000

Answers the need of cinegoers for entertainment rooted in Indian soil.

NARGIS DUTT AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM ON NATIONAL INTEGRATION: Moner Manush (Bengali)

Producer: Gautam Kundu

Director: Goutam Ghose

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,50,000

For celebrating the union of the human spirit through the life and song of Sufi poets in the Baul tradition.

BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES: Champions (Marathi)

Producer: Aishwarya Narkar

Director: Ramesh More

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,50,000

In a world of deprivation, the thirst for an education surpasses the hunger for food amongst two young brothers fending for each other and their mother.

BEST FILM ON ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION/PRESERVATION: Bettada Jeeva (Kannada)

Producer: Basantkumar Patil

Director: P Sheshadri

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,50,000

An old couple steeped in the soil of their environment yearn for the return of their son while nurturing the growth of their young plantation against all odds.

BEST CHILDREN'S FILM: Hejjegalu (Kannada)

Producer: Basantkumar Patil

Director: PR Ramadas Naidu

Swarna Kamal and Rs 1,50,000

A little girl cheerfully takes on the challenge to preserve the fabric of her family.

BEST DIRECTION: Vetrimaran for Aadukalam (Tamil)

Swarna Kamal and Rs 2,50,000

For a gritty tale of love, jealousy and betrayal in the midst of bloodsport and violence, in the manner of realistic cinema.

BEST ACTOR: Dhanush for Aadukalam (Tamil) and Salim Kumar for Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

Two riveting performances that fuse character and actor into one: To Dhanush for the raw, nuanced portrayal of a cocky young man who learns lessons about life the hard way. To Salim for a deep, restrained performance of a simple man with an unshakeable belief in his quest for salvation.

BEST ACTRESS: Mitalee Jagtap Varadkar for Baboo Band Baaja (Marathi) and Saranya Ponvannan for Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

The picture of two mothers whose concern for bettering the lives of their children in the face of untold hardship: As a mother who strives to realise through her son her dreams of a better future. As a fiercely combative single mother who shields her son to the point of sacrifice.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: J Thambi Ramaiah for Mynaa (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For a heart-warming performance as a policeman who discovers his humanity in the process of capturing an escaped fugitive.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Sukumari for Namma Gramam (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For a sensitive portrayal of an aged widow who challenges orthodoxy when restrictions are placed upon her widowed granddaughter.

BEST CHILD ARTIST: Harsh Mayar for I am Kalam (Hindi), Shantanu Ranganekar and Machindra Gadkar for Champions (Marathi) and Vivek Chabukswar for Baboo Band Baaja (Marathi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000 (Shared)

Four actors for expressing with charm and heartbreak the world of the child: For performing with bright, shining eyes and an urchin smile, the razor sharp spirit of a survivor who dreams of excelling. For two brothers bonded by blood and responsibility battling for survival in the underbelly of a heartless city. For capturing the indomitable spirit of a young village boy who is hungry to learn in an environment that closes all doors on him.

BEST MALE PLAYBACK SINGER: Suresh Wadkar for Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For rendering soulful lyrics in a resonant voice soaked in emotion with a purity of musical expression and spiritual empathy.

BEST FEMALE PLAYBACK SINGER: Rekha Bhardwaj for Ishqiya (Hindi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For a sensual and evocative rendering of a heart longing for the beloved.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Madhu Ambat for Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For the visual poetry that augments and reinforces the concern of the narrative and for unfolding the infinite vistas of nascent digital technology in the visual medium.

BEST SCREENPLAY: (Original): Vetrimaran for Aadukalam (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For its kaleidoscopic variety that uses realism, tradition and contemporaneity, soaked in local flavour on an infinite canvas.

BEST SCREENPLAY: (Adapted): Anant Mahadevan and Sanjay Pawar for Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For retaining the concerns and values of a biographical account while translating it into the cinematic medium and honouring the essence of the original.

BEST SCREENPLAY: (Dialogues): Sanjay Pawar for Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For bringing to life the textures of various characters through articulating their emotion and thought process.

BEST AUDIOGRAPHY: Kaamod Kharade (Location Sound Recordist) for Ishqiya (Hindi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For capturing the soft nuances and variations of the artists' voices and location ambience in a sensorial manner.

BEST AUDIOGRAPHY: Subhadeep Sengupta (Sound Designer) for Chitrasutram (Malayalam)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For the use of various sound effects along with existing ambience to impart a subliminal experience in this abstract work.

BEST AUDIOGRAPHY: Debajit Changmai (Re-recordist of the final mixed track) for Ishqiya (Hindi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For merging voices, location ambience, background music and other sound effects to create a near-tactile experience that is both real and artistic.

BEST EDITING: TE Kishore for Aadukalam (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For the subliminal impact created by the use of montage so as to bring to the fore thematic concerns of the narrative in a holistic manner.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Sabu Cyril for Enthiran (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal Rs 50,000

For the style and finesse realised in the creation of a set design that is coherent with the futuristic visual style of the narrative.

BEST COSTUME DESIGNER: Indrans Jayan for Namma Gramam (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For realising effectively the texture of a period in the history of modern India through miniscule attention to detailing.

BEST MAKE-UP ARTIST: Vikram Gaikwad for Moner Manush (Bengali)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For the admirable detailing and remarkable consistency achieved in the etching of the characters across an extensive time span.

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION (Songs): Vishal Bhardwaj for Ishqiya (Hindi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For blending rustic flavour with the Indian classical tradition

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION (Background Score): Issak Thomas Kottakapally for Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For minimalistic use of appropriate background score to nurture the essence of the narrative.

BEST LYRICS: Vairamuthu for Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For giving a meaningful expression to the narrative through contextual amplification of the emotion.

SPECIAL JURY AWARD: Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi)

Producer: Bindiya and Sachin Khanolkar

Director: Anant Narayan Mahadevan

Rajat Kamal and Rs 2,00,000

For a powerful cinematic presentation of an epic journey of a living character, an abandoned woman who refused to become a victim and in the process not only transformed her own life but also the lives of many others.

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS: V Srinivas M Mohan for Enthiran (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For bringing of age a spectrum of visual special effects in Indian cinema and creating a space for the practitioners of this art form on the global map.

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Dinesh Kumar for Aadukalam (Tamil)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

For the native charm and innovative design in the art of choreography that creates an effervescent energy in the spectator.

BEST FEATURE FILM IN EACH OF THE LANGUAGE SPECIFIED IN THE SCHEDULE VIII OF THE CONSTITUTION

BEST ASSAMESE FILM: Jetuka Patar Dare

Producer: Md. Noorul Sultan

Director: Jadumoni Dutta Rajat Kamal

Rs 1,00,000

For a heart-warming portrayal of the rural landscape with an emphasis on the need for self-reliance in the process of development.

BEST BENGALI FILM: Ami Aadu

Producer: New Theatres Pvt. Ltd

Director: Sonmath Gupta Rajat Kamal

Rs 1,00,000

For the subtle portrayal of an endearing love story in the time of cultural conflicts. It is a sincere attempt to present the personal tragedy of the emigrant commoner caught in the crossfire of international wars.

BEST HINDI FILM: Do Dooni Char

Producer: Arindam Chaudhuri

Director: Habib Faisal

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

Each For an entertaining narrative that brings to the fore the struggle of a school teacher who is torn between maintaining his integrity and the lure of a little more comfort.

BEST KANNADA FILM: Puttakkana Highway

Producer: Shylaja Nag and Prakash Raj

Director: B Suresha

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

For a persuasive articulation of a topical social issue where in the name of development, land is appropriated and people are displaced as a consequence.

BEST MALAYALAM FILM: Veettilekkulla Vazhi

Producer: BC Joshi

Director: Dr Biju

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

For narrating the story of a doctor who overcomes personal loss to journey through an unfamiliar landscape to fulfil a promise to a dying mother and in the process finds a personal salvation.

BEST MARATHI FILM: Mala Aai Vhhaychay

Producer: Samruddhi Porey

Director: Samruddhi Porey

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

For an emotional presentation of the story of a surrogate mother who is torn between love and sacrifice for the child.

BEST TAMIL FILM: Thenmerkku Paruvakkatru

Producer: Shibu Isaac

Director: Seenu Ramasamy

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

Each For an emotive articulation of the combative spirit of a mother for whom her son's happiness is paramount.

BEST ENGLISH FILM: Memories in March

Producer: Shrikant Mohta

Director: Sanjoy Nag

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

For the effective exploration of a bereaved mother's coming to terms with the fact of her son's sexual identity.

SPECIAL MENTION: Bettada Jeeva (Kannada)

Late Shivaram Karanth

Certificate only

For an industry that has steadfastly refused to acknowledge and reward its creative fountainhead - the creator of its stories - the citation acknowledges a literary giant, the late Dr. Shivaram Karanth. The citation also acknowledges his valuable association with the world of Indian cinema.

SPECIAL MENTION: Aadukalam (Tamil)

VIS Jayaraman

Certificate only

With a face carved out of teak and leather, the patriarch of a cock-fighting clan stands like a colossus, even when he feels his power and authority ebbing through his fingers.

NON-FEATURE FILMS

BEST NON-FEATURE FILM: Germ (Hindi)

Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata

Director: Snehal R Nair

Swarna Kamal and Rs 1,50,000

Through abstract visualization and endearing black & white tones, the film depicts the human existence, afflicted by cancer, in a very sublime and somber tone. Along with the perception and growth, from child to youth and by the curious collection of thrown passport photographs, the film maker presents the changing perspective of the vision of the modern growing world in a very engaging manner.

BEST DEBUT NON-FEATURE FILM OF A DIRECTOR: Pistulya (Marathi & Telugu)

Producer: Nagraj Manjule

Director: Nagraj Manjule

Rajat Kamal Rs 75,000

It is a delightful exposition of the poignant life of a poverty-stricken child, who nurtures a dream of embracing the source of learning through education, with simplicity and fluency. The director portrays the spirit of adventure of the child, through fine performances.

BEST ETHNOGRAPHIC FILM: Songs of Mashangva (Tangkhul, Manipuri & English)

Producer: Oinam Doren

Director: Oinam Doren

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

An insightful foray into the complex and layered life of a 'song' and all that it carries within it for a community. It inquires into the shared critical history of a community in the specific context of an overarching missionary presence and how it has affected their lives. The jury appreciates it for the courageous, yet poetic exploration of the subject from the ethnographic perspective.

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FILM: Nilamadhaba (English)

Producer: Films Division

Director: Dilip Patnaik

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

An intimate portrayal of the inimitable Sunanda Pattanaik, whose life is inseparable from contemporary Indian classical music. The film explores the inner spirit of the artist through evocative moments, pregnant with visual passages.

BEST ARTS AND CULTURE FILM: Leaving Home (English & Hindi)

Producer: Jaideep Varma

Director: Jaideep Varma

Rajat Kamal Rs 50,000

It is an emotive and enthralling exposition of the passion and dedication of a group, bound by the spirit of music, who transcend the commercial boundary to embrace their original creative flair. Without compromising, the group led to the adventure with courage and guts. The film maker has journeyed through this adventure with dramatic sensibility and compassion.

BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FILM: Heart to Heart (Manipuri & English)

Producer: Rotary Club of Imphal

Director: Bachaspatimayum Sunzu

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

A very well constructed reality with an engaging dramatic sensibility, that depicts the grimness of natural health maladies. It guides the viewer through emotions and playful spirit of the child. With the help of medical science, it enlightens the viewer with awareness of Congenital Heart Defect and its promising treatment.

BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM: Ek Ropa Dhan (Hindi)

Producer: Meghnath Bhattacharjee

Director: Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharjee

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

A succinct and well researched film looking closely at an innovation applied effectively in the farming of rice. The film engages successfully with the issue and makes a strong case for the promotion of the practice called Ek Ropa Dhan.

BEST ENVIRONMENT FILM: Iron is Hot (English)

Producer: Meghnath Bhattacharjee

Director: Biju Toppo and Meghnath Bhattacharjee

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

The film is well documented with a forthright exposition of the grievous impact of pollution due to sponge iron industry on the inhabitants dwelling around that area. With clarity and veracity, the film maker is able to express empathy and concern on the acute prevailing problem over human existence.

BEST FILM ON SOCIAL ISSUES: Understanding Trafficking (Bengali, Hindi & English)

Producer: Cinemawoman

Director: Ananya Chakraborti

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

To cross the line of limit, becomes an issue of indifference. Along this line, the documentary projects the serious social issue of human trafficking in a very thought provoking manner through stark and gravitating images. It airs an intriguing atmosphere of concerns through dramatised and realistic imageries.

BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM: Advaitham (Telugu)

Producer: K Vijaypal Reddy

Director: Pradeep Maadugula

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

The documentary exposes the human apathy of class difference through casteism in a very evoking and natural style. Through fun-filled situations and distressing moments, the director portrays the anguished and tragic aspects of casteism effecting human value and relationship.

BEST FILM ON SPORTS: Boxing Ladies (Hindi)

Producer: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata

Director: Anusha Nandakumar

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

A sensitive portrayal of young aspiring talents in a country where sports as passion/ profession comes up against heavy social odds and family biases. The jury applauds the film for the restrained and elevating treatment of a crucial subject underlining the silent dignity of the characters involved.

BEST INVESTIGATIVE FILM: A Pestering Journey (Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi, English & Tulu)

Producer: Ranjini Krishnan

Director: KR Manoj

Rajat Kamal Rs 50,000

The pet detective in a reverse act, an emotive documentary exposing not only stories of cruel impact of pest control on human health but also arrests out attention to a more fundamental question - who is a pest?

SPECIAL JURY AWARD: Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein (Hindi)

Producer: Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Bangalore

Director: Shabnam Virmani

Rajat Kamal and Rs 1,00,000

An insightful film that introduces us to the various cults that have grown around Kabir, the mystic weaver and saint. It explores the nuances of India's argumentative tradition as exemplified by Kabir's dohas and traces the eventful journey of one man caught in an Orwellion dilemma as he is elevated to the status of a cult leader, torn between the inevitable trappings of hierarchy that run paradoxical to the simple philosophy of Kabir.

SHORT FICTION FILM: Kal 15 August Dukan Band Rahegi (Hindi)

Producer: Film & Television Institute of India, Pune

Director: Prateek Vats

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

With energy and vigour, the documentary records very interesting images of a group of young students, who are trying to relate, with ideology of freedom and the stifling authoritarian reality. In the process, the life is entangled with intrigues and doubts.

BEST FILM ON FAMILY VALUES: Love in India (Bengali & English)

Producer: Overdose

Director: Kaushik Mukherjee

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

Explores and deconstructs the traditional and orthodox landscapes of love, sexuality and conjugal relationships and the dynamics of emerging sexual politics and value systems in contemporary India with clarity and insight laced with subtle humour.

BEST DIRECTION: Shyam Raat Seher (Hindi & Engish)

Director: Arunima Sharma

Swarna Kamal and Rs 1,50,000

Intelligent articulation of a shared urban angst in a powerful cinematic style and well constructed mise-en-scene. The maturity of the director is reflected in the balanced approach to all the elements that blend to create an impression in the viewers mind.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Shyam Raat Seher (Hindi & English)

Cameraman: Murali G

Laboratory: Film Lab

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

Imaginative yet minimal, a balanced and evocative cinematography creates a character out of a city night atmosphere, setting the space and mood for the living characters in their journey beyond the real, nearing mythical.

BEST AUDIOGRAPHY: Harikumar Madhavan Nair (Re-recordist - final mixed track) for A Pestering Journey (Malayalam, Punjabi, Hindi English and Tulu)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

Does one hear the cry of the pest? In between the sound of the real and evoking music, the ensuing silence tells us the stories beyond.

BEST EDITING: Tinni Mitra for Germ (Hindi)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

The abstract visualization and endearing black &white tones are very effectively punctuated with fine editing, and in the process it maintains a very subtle and flowing rhythm and pace to carry forward the cinematic work.

BEST NARRATION: (for Writing the Narration): Nilanjan Bhattacharya for Johar: Welcome to Our World (Hindi and English)

Rajat Kamal and Rs 50,000

A seamless powerful narrative about the symbiotic intricate relationship, the tribals of Jharkhand have with their forests and their struggle for existence against mindless aggressive development and flawed conservation policies, told with empathy and sincerity.

SPECIAL MENTION: Ottayal (One Woman Alone) (Malayalam)

Director: Shiny Jacob Benjamin

It is a heart warming portrayal of the woman Dayabai, who trades along a challenging path in quest of truth. The director, delves into the spirit of the woman to understand the theology of liberation, with sincerity and intelligence

SPECIAL MENTION: The Zeliangrongs (Manipuri & English)

Director: Ronel Haobam

It is a well researched endeavour to reflect a composite group of ethnic communities of common origin and socio-cultural back-ground, which highlights the rich cultural heritage and the tribes' traditional way of life, which is on the brink of extinction.

SPECIAL MENTION: Pistulya (Marathi & Telugu)

Child Artist: Suraj Pawar

Under distressing situation and harsh reality, Pistulya, the child protagonist, displays the authenticity with vibrant and emotive expression.

BEST WRITING ON CINEMA

BEST BOOK ON CINEMA: From Rajahs and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond: Images of India in International Films of the Twentieth Century (English) Publisher: Seagull Books

Author: Vijaya Mulay

Swarna Kamal and Rs 75,000

Here is a work of rigorous film scholarship which took the author to many lands and consumed many years of her life. Written in a clear lucid style, the book evokes a panoramic view of India that perhaps was through the eyes of several filmmakers of foreign origin. What adds an extra dimension to the book is the author's narration of her own life in films even as she is engaged in telling the larger events on and off screen.

SPECIAL MENTION: Cinema Bhojpuri (English)

Publisher: Penguin Books India Ltd

Author: Avijit Ghosh

Certificate

Often dismissed as a poor cousin of mainstream Hindi cinema, Bhojpuri cinema, however has many interesting cultural strains that Avijit Ghosh has laid bare. Any one conversant with life in North Bihar and East Uttar Pradesh, or in many lands far beyond, would recognize the importance of this 'subaltern' effort.

SPECIAL MENTION: Thiraicheelai (Tamil)

Publisher: Trisakti Sundar Raman

Author: Oviyar Jeeva Certificate

This book is a sincere attempt to analyse important developments in Tamil films. It also provides an insight into the classics of world cinema, highlighting their aesthetic values.

BEST FILM CRITIC: Joshy Joseph (English)

Swarna Kamal and Rs 37,500

Joshy Joseph, essentially a filmmaker, proves to be an important critic as well, as he goes about writing on the most serious aspects of medium with wry humour and a lightness of touch that is difficult not to notice. His commitment to the documentary in particular sets him apart from many of those writing on cinema in this country.

BEST FILM CRITIC: N Manu Chakravarthy (Kannada & English)

Swarna Kamal and Rs 37,500

Professor Chakravarthy's writings on film and related arts are replete with profound insights into the human condition as well as the need for serious discourse on socio-cultural matters. His writings reveal the authority with which he can discuss the cinemas of the world, particularly his own Kannada cinema.