Assamese Films Shine at 70th National Film Awards
Two Assamese non-feature films, ‘Hargila – The Greater Adjutant Stork’ directed by Partha Sarathi Mahanta and ‘Birubala ‘Witch to Padmashri” directed by Aimee Baruah, received special mentions at the 70th National Film Awards. The film ‘Hargila’ focuses on the conservation of the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork. Partha Sarathi Mahanta dedicated the award to those involved in the bird’s conservation.
Three Assamese feature films, ‘Emuthi Puthi (A Very Fishy Trip)’, ‘Sikaisal (If only trees could talk)’, and ‘Xunyota (Void)’, won the Rajat Kamal Award. Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated the winners on social media, appreciating their contributions to Assamese cinema.
The 70th National Film Awards were announced in the national capital. Rishab Shetty and Nithya Menen won Best Actor awards, while the Malayalam film ‘Aattam’ won Best Film. ‘Brahmastra Part 1’ and ‘Ponniyin Selvan Part 1’ also secured several key awards. Sooraj Barjatya won Best Director for ‘Uunchai’, and Anand Ekarshi won Best Screenplay for ‘Attam’. Arpita Mukherjee and Rahul V Chittella won Best Dialogues for ‘Gulmohar’. ‘Kantara’ won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
The awards were announced by Rahul Rawail, Chairperson of the Feature Films Jury, Nila Madhab Panda, Chairperson of the Non-feature Films Jury, and Gangadhar Mudaliar, Best Writing on Cinema Jury, in the presence of Vrunda Desai, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Doubts Revealed
Assamese -: Assamese refers to something or someone from Assam, a state in northeastern India.
70th National Film Awards -: The National Film Awards are a set of awards given by the Indian government to honor the best films and filmmakers in India. The 70th edition means it is the 70th time these awards are being given.
Non-feature films -: Non-feature films are movies that are usually shorter than feature films and often include documentaries, short films, or educational films.
Hargila – The Greater Adjutant Stork -: This is a documentary film about a bird called the Greater Adjutant Stork, which is found in Assam.
Birubala ‘Witch to Padmashri’ -: This is a film about a woman named Birubala who was once called a witch but later received the Padmashri, a prestigious award in India.
Rajat Kamal Award -: The Rajat Kamal Award is a silver lotus award given to winners in various categories at the National Film Awards.
Assam Chief Minister -: The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state. Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma is the current Chief Minister of Assam.
National capital -: The national capital of India is New Delhi, where the central government is located.
Rishab Shetty -: Rishab Shetty is an Indian actor and filmmaker known for his work in Kannada cinema.
Nithya Menen -: Nithya Menen is an Indian actress and singer who works in South Indian films.
Malayalam film -: Malayalam films are movies made in the Malayalam language, which is spoken in the Indian state of Kerala.
Aattam -: Aattam is the name of a Malayalam film that won the Best Film award at the 70th National Film Awards.