Why the National Film Awards need to be protected, especially from itself

'Awards don't really matter' is a dictum that's repeated as often - and as unthinkingly - as 'money can't buy happiness'. At one level, of course, both statements are true. Yes, happiness is not a commodity available for purchase in a supermarket. And yes, greatness does not cease to be great on being ignored by awards givers.

The fact is, however, that though happiness is not a product literally up for sale, money can certainly buy goods and services that could potentially be a means to happiness. Likewise, awards with standing do matter. Apart from being an acknowledgement of an individual's or organisation's achievements, they serve to amplify the winner's work, in the present, and to future generations.

Sometimes they are also an act of courage by the awards-giver. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, for instance, did not need a Nobel Peace Prize. But the failure to award him remains an eternal reminder that the Nobel committee was afraid to antagonise the colonial power that Gandhi fought.

This is the context in which the ongoing storm over the National Film Awards must be viewed. Much of the consternation is aimed at the Best Director and Best Cinematography trophies going to the tacky Hindi film, The Kerala Story, a propaganda vehicle peddling false statistics (an 'arbitrary number', as director Sudipto Sen himself publicly admitted) against Muslims and Kerala.

Meanwhile, the venerated veteran Malayalam superstar Urvashi has been selected as the Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the joint lead in Ullozhukku (Undercurrent). You read that right: Urvashi was a joint lead along with Parvathy Thiruvothu in Ullozhukku, but has been selected for the Best Supporting Actress Award.

Responding to public outrage at this travesty, she told the media that she further demands to know what criteria were used to relegate Vijayaraghavan - the joint lead in the Malayalam film Pookkaalam (Spring) - to the Best Supporting Actor slot, while Shah Rukh Khan was picked as Best Actor for the Hindi blockbuster Jawan. 'We should raise such questions, since we too are tax-paying citizens,' she said.

Just to be clear, debates over awards are inevitable, and occur everywhere in the world. This is not the first time that the National Awards have been contentious either. Accusations of bias towards film personalities who are close to the government of the day have been made off and on for decades. Since 2014, there has also been a marked increase in the Hindi-centricity of the awards, and a glaring, persistent bias towards films or artists who lean towards the right-wing.

What distinguishes this year from the preceding 70 years is the blatantness in feting a low-quality film that unabashedly spreads misinformation, and was openly promoted by the ruling party when it was released. The blatantness, coupled with the bizarreness of confusing lead and supporting performances, has dealt a blow to the institution of the National Awards that it will not easily recover from.

This is a tragedy, because despite all the controversies over the years, the National Awards have remained one of the few high-profile spaces left in this country that inevitably showcase small-scale, low-budget indie cinema, due to the mandatory inclusion of a Best Feature Film category in each of the languages specified in Schedule 8 of the Constitution, and certain other Indian languages. Where else, and how often, would you find a beauty like Dominic Megham Sangma's Rimdogittanga (Rapture) being platformed at a national level?

Rimdogittanga, which is set in a Meghalaya village beset by fear of the other, has been named the Best Garo Feature Film. Independent filmmakers like Sangma constantly struggle for funds and visibility in India. Recognition at the National Awards is, among other things, a precious morale booster.

For the sake of indies, and for the love of Indian cinema at large, film lovers in India must fight to ensure that the lost credibility of the National Awards is restored.



(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)