Manpriya Singh
When a bad film does well at the box-office, the producers can smirk and laugh their way to the bank; when a bad film doesn’t do well, it’s acceptable. When a good film doesn’t do well, it’s a fact hard to get over and move on with. Which is just what happened post Harjeeta, when the Ammy Virk-starrer didn’t work despite the good word of mouth and a nod from the critics.
Harjeeta winning on two counts (Best Punjabi Film and Best Child Artist) at the 66th National Film Awards means much more than just the prestige coming with the title — it means reaffirmation of the faith in good content and hard work. Writer Jagdeep Sidhu recalls the immense work that went behind the project, “It was a one-and-a-half-year process; Ammy lost 27 kilos, players had to be brought from overseas, the budget was big, the story was inspiring.”
Pleasant surprise
What exactly does a National Award sitting in the resume of an artiste does? Jagdeep is as candid as they come, “Personally I am a box-office person. Film is an industry, a business and I think the person who has invested the most in a project; that is money should be compensated adequately. A National Award can please the writer, the director and the actors, but is not enough for a producer.”
Which is why we move on to one of the producers backing the project, who also happens to be Ammy Virk’s brother, Bhagwant Virk. “At least that bitterness and disappointment has faded,” he shares before telling us how none of them were really aware of how big the honour was, let alone expect it. “When I called up Ammy and shared the news with him, he too was really clueless.” It’s been an overwhelming experience for both ever since the winners were announced, the calls haven’t stopped and finally the faith in a good film stands restored.
The fact that it’s a recognition that comes from the Government of India is what gives the actress Sawan Rupowali, who was a part of Harjeeta, the ‘high’ of being associated with it. “For an artiste, recognition is a big thing and this is the highest acknowledgement there can be. It was my debut
film and the award was announced on the day of my birthday, which is August 7. Being a part of a National Award-winning film means a lot to me.”
HALL OF FAME: NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING PUNJABI FILMS
Chaudhary Karnail Singh
The 1960 Punjabi film Chaudhary Karnail Singh, based on pre-Partition times of India, won the National Award. The film starred none other than Prem Chopra.
Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai
The 1969 film Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai bagged two honours at the 1970 National Film Awards; the one of Best Film in Punjabi and for Best Music Direction. The devotional film based on a true incident that took place at Golden Temple, Amritsar, starred none other than the inimitable Prithvi Raj Kapoor. Yes, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s great grandfather, if you must!
Chan Pardesi
It was almost a decade later that the honour came again. Chan Pardesi went onto win the National Award in 1980. The film not just starred Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Om Puri, but was also Raj Babbar’s debut.
Marhi Da Deeva
Raj Babbar-starrer Marhi Da Deeva bagged the National Award in 1989. The film, based on a novel of the same name by Gurdial Singh, starred Raj Babbar, Deepti Naval and Parikshit Sahni.
Shaheed-E-Mohabbat Boota Singh
If Raj Babbar it was in the eighties, then Gurdas Mann it was in the nineties, who starred in the 1998 National Award-winning film Shaheed-E-Mohabbat Boota Singh. A film that also featured Divya Dutta.
Chauthi Koot (2015) and Anhey Ghore Da Daan (2011)
What connects the two films is not the year in which they bagged the National Award, but the fact that director Gurvinder Singh helmed both the projects. While the accolades for Chauthi Koot didn’t stop at the several prestigious international Film Festivals it went to. Set in the 1980s when the region was undergoing damaging political tensions, it premiered at Debussy Theatre in Cannes to a full house, followed by standing ovation. And talk of Anhe Ghorey Da Daan, it bagged the National Award for best direction, cinematography, best film in Punjabi at the 59th National Awards of India. That’s not it. The film also brought home the Golden Peacock award at IFFI held in Goa in 2012.
Nabar (2013)
Just one year later, debutant director Rajeev Sharma’s Nabar grabbed the honours. The film highlights the issues that have plagued Punjab ever since, the fixation with foreign shores and desperate, sometimes illegal attempts to somehow reach there.
Punjab 1984
The film bagging the Best Punjabi Film at 62nd National Awards was not a surprise announcement, rather it was expected. Highlighting the family relationships in the backdrop of terrorism, the 1984 riots, police brutality in the aftermath; the film brought out two brilliant performances by two actors Kirron Kher and Diljit Dosanjh.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2KD59vq
via Today’s News Headlines
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