Mumbai: After a host of filmmakers, including names like Dibakar Banerjee and Anand Patwardhan, returned various government awards and honours they have received to express solidarity with FTII students, a few members of the Hindi film fraternity termed it as a “publicity gimmick” and an “insult”. Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar and Ashoke Pandit are among those who have called the step — which is also a mark of protest against impediments to freedom of speech and expression in the country — disrespectful. The filmmakers who returned the awards Wednesday are Paresh Kamdar, Nishtha Jain, Kirti Nakhwa, Harshavardhan Kulkarni, Hari Nair, Rakesh Sharma, Indraneel Lahiri and Lipika Singh Darai, apart from Banerjee and Patwardhan.
TWEET TALK
In my view, giving away the National Award is a disrespect to oneself and also to the actors, technicians, audience, jury members, and Hon. President
Madhur Bhandarkar
director
Those filmmakers who signed a memorandum against @narendramodi becoming the PM have returned their #NationalAwards. Motive is clear.
Ashoke Pandit
Filmmaker, censor board member
India is the first and the only country where people don’t refuse awards but return awards after milking them to their advantage
Vivek Agnihotri
director
Some more usual suspects who never wanted @narendramodi to become PM in d first place have joined the #AwardWapsi gang. Jai Ho.:)
Anupam Kher
actor
Agencies
