Bengal National Film Awards brigade react to Smriti Irani’s I&B exit

KOLKATA: A section of the winners of National Film Awards from Bengal who had boycotted the May 2 ceremony in Delhi are now debating the potential for a repeat of the same programme after Smriti Irani’s removal from the ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B). Even if that doesn’t occur, they're hoping to a minimum of get some readability on when or how they are going to get their awards.

At least 10 contributors from the Bengal contingent had skipped the ceremony after a controversy over the awards - broadly regarded as bureaucratic mishandling - broke out once I&B ministry officers had sought guilty the Rashtrapati Bhawan for a last-minute change in programme. What added to the embarrassment was once the clarification issued by means of the President’s administrative center that any claim that the President’s programme was once determined on the “eleventh hour” was once wrong.

While a message despatched to Irani from TOI at the Bengal brigade’s reaction didn’t get a reply, the latter remains divided over whether or not to connect the removal with the awards fiasco. Said “Nagarkirtan” director Kaushik Ganguly, “It is an interior political choice. I don’t want to connect the two.” One of the 3 directors of “Girija” – Debapriya Adhikary – doesn’t see Irani’s ouster as a “praise” for their protest. “I have no malice against her. It's not that i am connecting the two incidents,” Adhikary said.

However, director Indrani Chakraborty, whose ‘Ladakh Chale Rickshawala’ bagged the Best Exploration/Adventure Film, differed. “The mess regarding our awards was once absolutely on account of the incompetence of the I&B ministry helmed by means of Irani. I had anticipated her ouster,” she said. Agreed “I Am Bonnie” co-director Sourabh Kanti Dutta saying Irani’s ouster had something to do with how she treated the ceremony. “She was once the one who had come to speak to us. While we had attempted to tell her about the discrimination factor, it’s unhappy that she didn’t seem to know our logic. I am hoping the ministry handles disaster situations higher in long term. I have got the prize money from the ministry but don’t know when or how the citation will achieve me,” Dutta said.

According to Chakraborty, in a Whatsapp staff of National Award winners who didn’t receive their awards, some have hoped that they will be honoured properly now that a new minister is in charge. “However, I don’t suppose that the government might be humble sufficient to do this. I’m questioning what's going to occur to my Rajat Kamal,” Chakraborty said.

Meanwhile, “Mayurakshi” director Atanu Ghosh said the Cabinet reshuffle isn’t related. “That’s now not related to our motive. We have lost our second of glory. I want to know if the 64-year-old custom was once damaged unintentionally or with a specific purpose. I deeply empathise with many who had taken their outdated folks alongside and returned empty-handed,” Ghosh said.

Costume designer Gobinda Mondal of “Nagarkirtan” had taken his mother Mangala along with him to wait the Delhi programme. “It was once my mother’s maiden enjoy on a flight. Though unhappy for now not with the ability to attend the ceremony, she supported our protest. I have no personal enmity against Irani. Whether she stayed on or left is none of my worry. I didn’t like the way in which the ministry treated the ceremony.”

Even 13 days after the Delhi programme, Mondal doesn’t have a clue over how or when he will get his award. “It would be great if the ministry now organises another programme for those like us. However, I doubt if that can occur. In any case, I'd want to know how I will finally get the award in my hand.”

Sani Ghosh Roy from Acropolis Entertainment that produced “Nagarkirtan” isn’t optimistic about the ministry keeping another match to make amends. “But, I hope that we can now have readability on when we will receive the award,” Ghosh Roy said.