National Film Awards 2018 winners call Ram Nath Kovind presenting only 11 honours 'infuriating'

More than 70 winners of the National Film Awards on Thursday said they would skip the ceremony in the evening after a last minute announcement that President Ram Nath Kovind would be presenting only 11 awards, a departure from tradition.

The winners who are upset at the development wrote an open letter, marked to the Office of the President and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. They said that they were informed about the change in the schedule on Wednesday by Chaitanya Prasad, Additional Director General of the Directorate of Film Festivals.

Also read:  National Film Awards 2018: Ram Nath Kovind to present only select honours; 60 winners to boycott ceremony

They said they were disheartened and “felt dejected rather than honoured” on being informed at the last minute that the president will present only 11 awards. “It feels like a breach of trust when an institution/ceremony that abides by extreme protocol fails to inform us of such a vital aspect of the ceremony with a prior notice. It seems unfortunate that 65 years of tradition are being overturned in a jiffy,” read the letter, signed by more than 70 filmmakers and artistes from across the country.

The signatories include noted singer KJ Yesudas, named this year’s best playback singer, Bengali filmmaker Kaushik Ganguly, whose film “Nagarkirtan” has been named the best Bengali film and best supporting actor winner Fahadh Faasil.

“We request that the dignity and eminence of this award is maintained and that there is no display of hierarchy at the event. We are disappointed to know that the Hon’ble President will be presenting the Award to just 11 Awardees and not the remaining of about 120 of us.”

Director NR Nanjunde Gowda, whose film Hebbettu Ramakka was named best Kannada film, said this was breaking convention. “We all represent different parts of the country and it is an honour that we receive at the hands of the president. They are not called the President’s National Awards for no reason. If not the President, then at least the Vice-President should give away the remaining awards not the ministers,” Gowda told PTI.

Oscar-winning sound artiste Resul Pookutty also expressed dissent over the news. “If the government of India cannot earmark three hours of its time, they should not bother giving us National Awards. More than 50 percent 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.

Newton producer Manish Mundra, whose film has won the National Award for best Hindi film, also expressed his disappointment though it was not immediately clear whether he would skip the ceremony. “The whole inherent and intrinsic value of #NationalFilmAwards is due to the fact that it’s being given away by @rashtrapatibhvn Otherwise it’s just one amongst the other many film awards mushrooming across the country! #NationalFilmAwards,” he tweeted.

The whole inherent and intrinsic value of #NationalFilmAwards is due to the fact that it’s being given away by @rashtrapatibhvn Otherwise it’s just one amongst the other many film awards mushrooming across the country! #NationalFilmAwards

— Manish Mundra (@ManMundra) May 3, 2018

Prateek Vats, a recipient of a special jury award for his film A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings told Firstpost that there is a certain sanctity of these or any other national awards. “There is a reason why the head of state is the one to hand over such accolades. This is the first time in 65 years that this is happening. It’s just disrespectful. Especially when all invites have been given out saying that the president will be awarding. We don’t even know how to respond but it surely is infuriating.”

Further he said that the picking and choosing some awards as being “worthy” of the President’s time betrays a myopic attitude towards cinema and the sanctity of a program like this​.

Singer Shashaa Tirupati said she felt “terribly disrespected” and that the thrill of winning the award is now gone. Shashaa bagged the best female playback singer for ‘Vaan varuvaan’ from Kaatru Veliyidai, directed by Mani Ratnam. Its composer AR Rahman also won the music direction National Award for the Tamil film.

“Dude, let’s not talk about it. I feel terribly disrespected right now,” she said. “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,” she told IANS.

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.

Divya Dutta, who won the Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film Irada will however be attending the ceremony. She had earlier said that occasions like these made her feel alive as an actor.

With inputs from agencies