नवीनतम
National Film Awards: Indira Gandhi, Nargis Dutt names dropped
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: The 'Indira Gandhi Award for best debut film' and the 'Nargis Dutt Award for best feature film on national integration' have been retitled with the names of the late prime minister and legendary actor being dropped as part of a raft of changes for the National Film Awards, according to a notification.
The 'Regulations of the 70th National Film Awards 2022' reflects the changes suggested by a committee set up by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to rationalise the honours given in different categories. The changes include an upward revision in the cash rewards, including for the Dadasaheb Phalke award, and several awards being fused.
''The committee deliberated on the changes during the pandemic. The decision to make these changes was ultimately unanimous,'' a member of the committee told the news agency on condition of anonymity.
Filmmaker Priyadarshan, who is also a member of the panel, told PTI he gave his final recommendations in December. ''I have made a few recommendations in the technical department like sound,'' he added. Entries for the National Awards for 2022 closed on January 30. The awards are running a year late because of the pandemic with the National Awards for 2021 being given in 2023.
In accordance with the changes suggested by the committee, and included in the 'Regulations', the 'Indira Gandhi Award for best debut film of a Director' has been renamed 'Best debut film of a Director'. The prize money, which was earlier split between the producer and the director, will now only go to the director.
Similarly, the 'Nargis Dutt Award for a best feature film on national integration' will now be called the 'Best feature film promoting national, social and environmental values'. This category also merges award sections for social issues and environment conservation into one.
The rationalisation committee was headed by Neerja Sekhar, additional secretary in the I&B ministry. It included filmmakers Priyadarshan, Vipul Shah, Haobam Paban Kumar, Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief Prasoon Joshi, cinematographer S Nallamuthu as well as I&B joint secretary Prithul Kumar and the ministry's director (finance) Kamlesh Kumar Sinha.
