At the 71st National Awards, director Gaurav Narayanan, known for Thoonga Nagaram (2011) and Sigaram Thodu (2014), served as a jury member. The filmmaker vividly remembers the day he got a call from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. "I asked them if they were pranking me, but they assured the seriousness of it. They said that I would be sent a list of documents to verify and sign. However, I didn't receive anything for over ten days, and I thought this was just an elaborate joke," says Gaurav, whose doubts were assuaged when he did receive the official documents, and he realised the magnitude of the opportunity that came his way.
Fresh from the official announcement of the winners of the National Awards, Gaurav talked to Cinema Express about why certain films have better leverage over others, the intricate selection criteria for some categories, the need for better representation from Tamil cinema, and more.
Excerpts:
How did you get selected as a jury member for this year's National Awards? What was the process behind it?
Interestingly, there is a jury to select jury members. It is not like we can directly apply to be part of the jury. They review all regional films and their quality, and see what values they have conveyed to the audience. What swung the deal in my favour was that Sigaram Thodu was the first Tamil film, and just the second Indian film after Bobby, to be screened at the Seattle International Film Festival. I also got two international awards for Thoonga Nagaram and Sigaram Thodu. Taking all these into consideration, they sent me a letter stating that they are considering me to be a jury member. Of course, I had to sign an affidavit that I am not associated with any of the 340 films that were sent for the awards. It is only after due process that one can become a jury member.
How many films did you have to see a day, and how many jury members were present there?
They split it according to the demographics of North, South, East and West. Depending on the number of films they receive, they might choose even two people for each region. Numerically, it is the South, especially Tamil and Malayalam films, that dominate the number of movies that are sent every year.
In the South panel, I was joined by four other people: two from Kerala, one from West Bengal, and one from Mumbai. We were in charge of watching 90 films, which included 50-55 from Malayalam and 35-38 films from Tamil. The other South panel had to watch almost 45 Telugu and Kannada films. In the 35 days we stayed there, we watched at least four movies per day. Then there are two 'deliberation' days where we recommend ten films out of the 90. In each category, we recommend three films separately from Tamil and Malayalam and send them to the central jury, the final deciding authority. Hence, the audience should understand that the decision of choosing a National Award does not rest with one person alone.
When there is a contention on a few films, does the central jury come back to you for further clarity?
See, I would want Tamil films to do well. It is the same case for other members who would bat for their respective regions. So, it all boils down to the content in question. We release almost 250 films every year, but only 35 films are sent to the National Awards for consideration. On the other hand, Malayalam cinema are represented by over 50 films. We are a big industry with talented artists, but the representation has, unfortunately, been less. I request that the Tamil industry send more movies for these awards.
What types of films can apply for National Awards?
The application can be made for any film as long as it has received a certificate from the Censor Board between January 1 and December 31 of that year. It does not matter whether it is a commercial or art film and what it is certified as, be it U, U/A, or A. Further, the films don't need to be released theatrically or on streaming platforms either.
Beyond the general acting categories, there are region-wise subcategories for films. How many rounds are there in the process of selecting films from all over India?
It takes over a month for the regional juries to send their list of films to the central jury. Then, the central jury takes a month to deliberate on the films. In the central jury, there are representatives from each regional jury, and they will be unrelenting in their arguments regarding the quality of films. If a film comes out on top after all their questions have been answered correctly, one can rest assured that it would not be an undeserving choice.
This year’s National Awards courted controversy with people questioning the choice of commercial films winning the big awards...
The tendency to prioritise art films over mainstream cinema has been happening for a few decades now. For example, when a film such as Balu Mahendra sir’s Veedu won a National Award, it was a matter of pride for the film and its director. Now, when a film wins a National Award, it is seen as a proud moment for the whole state. Our perspective on National Awards has changed. The salaries of National Award-winning heroes and directors have increased these days. With commercial cinema also in the running for these awards, we can see more people paying attention to the award ceremony. Earlier, it was a matter of concern only for film personalities and ardent cinephiles. Therefore, the jury members also consider the audience’s acknowledgement of a film as a factor. If a film that is recognised by the public gets an award, what is the issue there?
How do you view Ramkumar Balakrishnan’s Parking winning three National Awards, considering it’s his first film?
I was delighted. Today’s young directors have fresh thoughts, and when they get recognised, they will be encouraged to consider newer ideas. Even though there is a category called 'Best Film by a Debut Director', when a debutant's film wins the Best Regional Film award, it shows that content spoke the loudest, and not the scale or the star value. Further, MS Bhaskar sir is one of the most versatile actors in India. He transitioned from a dubbing artist into a junior artist and then a character artist before reaching this extraordinary position. I have often wondered why this man had not won at least one award. Even Sivaji (Ganesan) sir did not win a 'Best Actor' National Award, but whose loss is it? Don't we think that the status of National Awards would have gone up a notch if he had won an award? I consider MS Bhaskar the next in line to such a legendary artist. He will do any role. I felt very happy about Parking winning (Best Tamil Film) and GV Prakash winning (Best Composer) in this year's awards.
