Bhubaneswar: Acclaimed Odia Movie Hello Arsi, directed by Late Sambit Mohanty, was presented the Best Odia Film award at the 65th National film Award function in New Delhi, Thursday. The protagonist of the film, actor Prakruti Mishra also won the Special Mention Actress Award for her performance.
The movie also bagged the Award for Best Dialogue for the script by its late director Sambit.
Actor Prakruti received the coveted award from Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani at Vigyan Bhawan in national capital. In a significant change this year, most of the National Film Awards were presented Irani as the President Ram Nath Kovind only presented awards in 11 categories. As a result, many winners decided to skip the award ceremony.
Talking to Orissa POST, Prakruti Mishra said she has no objection whatsoever regarding the change in format of the award presentation ceremony, saying the award for Hello Arsi itself is a matter of pride for her. “It does not make any difference for me because the award for the movie itself is a matter of pride for me. Appreciation of the movie by all juries and the audience is a great achievement for the whole team,” she said
“It would have been a great honour for me to receive the award from the President of India. But it is equally important for me to receive the award from Smriti Irani. I hope the matter will be solved very soon,” she added.
The actor thanked the producer of ‘Hello Arsi,’ Ajay Routray, writer late Sambit Mohanty and her father Manmath Mishra for the achievement.
Routray, lead actress Prakruti Mishra and director late Sambit Mohanty’s wife Ritu Mohanty were present at the Vigyan Bhawan to receive the awards in three different categories for ‘Hello Arsi’ – Best Odia Film, Best Dialogue and a Special Mention for Prakruti Mishra.
According to Ajay, the awards are indeed a great moment not only for them, but also for entire Odisha. “Disgusted over ‘copy-paste’ movies in Odisha, we had decided to make a different, but good film. We decided to make Hello Arsi and had to struggle a lot, as we were not ready to compromise with quality. We engaged highly talented technical persons as well as artistes to take care of the sound and music departments,” Routray, who demands Government to support films that bring laurel at a national platform, said.
“The government must provide us cinema halls to screen the film. If we get our money back only then can we focus on making more good films”, he added.
The story of Hello Arsi’s has been written in the backdrop of industrial displacement. When any big company gives huge money to poor people in exchange of their land without educating them on how to spend the amount strategically, the lives of the poor people change from bad to worse.
The story telling technique of Hello Arsi was appreciated by veteran filmmaker and jury head Shekhar Kapur, who talked highly of the late director’s novel initiative.
AWARDEES FROM ODISHA SPEAKS
Receiving an award from the President is a special feeling for artistes, including me. I felt honoured when I got the award in 2005 and 1997 for my movie Kathantara and Shunya Swaroopa respectively, as it was handed to me by the then President. I understand the feeling of artistes because they went to the award function with the expectation of getting the award from the President of India. Even the jury members were appointed by the President.
Himanshu Khatua, Director
I think the importance of an award does not depend on the person who gives. Awards are given as recognition for the hard work done by the recipient. Even if the President does not give the award, it will still be national awardss.
Sabyasachi Mohapatra, Director
