News

Shining the spotlight on the talented actress Nanda, Subhash K Jha focuses on her life in reel and real.

Nanda, who was part of the illustrious Mangeshkar family, never got her due. And she was herself partly to blame for it. Fixated on becoming another Meena Kumari, she was typecast in weepy family-oriented roles of the all-sacrificing Choti Bahen, Beti and Badi Didi. These are actually the titles of three of her popular films where she was shown sacrificing her own happiness for the family.

Nanda did make a belated attempt to break out of her doleful image with her shocking murderous avatar in Yash Chopra’s Ittefaq and as a drug addict in Naya Nasha. But she is largely remembered for her sweet, benign domesticated roles (I can’t recall one film where Nanda was cast as a working woman) humming and chugging her way into audiences’ hearts in...

In this very special birthday feature noted director Sanjay Leela Bhansali reminiscences and shares fascinating thoughts and insight on the films he grew up watching. You do not want to miss this!

1. Meghe Dhaka Tara (1960): “The way Ritwick Ghatak used Rabindra Sangeet and the level of performance he got out of the leading lady Supriya Chowdhary act remain etched in my mind. Ritwick was so ahead of his times. He himself never knew why he was taking a shot in a particular way. Years later, someone like me, watching the film, discovered the emotional content, which was so potent that it survived all the ravages of time. Ritwick Ghatak understood the power of sound and image.”

2. Mirch Masala (1985): “For the sheer power of the folk tale. The folk tale is told in such vibrant colours. The use of colour red and the tribute to woman power. And at...

No one does it quite like Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Slb). His cinema weaves passionate dreams into the operatic language, creating a world so beautiful you wish it really existed. In an industry where filmmakers think flying cars and smashing chorus dancers are the acme of aesthetics, here is that rare creative genius in the tradition of V Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Mehboob Khan, and Bimal Roy who toils over frame and every costume of his incandescent heroine as if his life dependent on it.

Here’s looking at Slb’s enchanting oeuvre.

1. Khamoshi: The Musical (1996):

Some say Slb’s first film about the beautiful, vulnerable Annie (Manisha Koirala) trying to cope with the possessive demands of her deaf and mute parents is still his most honest work. The truth is Khamoshi fell prey to dishonesty when the original tragic ending of Annie’s death had to be changed on distributors’ demand.

Veteran actor Jeetendra shared memories of his initial years of struggle in the film industry and how his mother, Krishna Kapoor, used to bring food for him on the sets of V Shantaram’s 1963 movie ‘Sehra’, where he played a small role.

Recalling the days when he used to be a junior artist in ‘Sehra’, Jeetendra said: “Wherever I used to shoot in Girgaon or Lalbaug (in Mumbai), she used to catch a bus and travel all the way to ensure that I ate on time. I prayed to God and asked him to give me something through which I could do something for my mother.”

Jeetendra had given a number of hits including ‘Farz’, ‘Ek Hasina Do Diwane’, ‘Himmatwala’, ‘Humjoli’, ‘Dharti Kahe Pukarke’, ‘Mere Humsafar’, and many more. He was known for his style statement and dancing skills because of which he was given the title ‘Jumping Jack of...

Cinema can be a powerful medium for social transformation, and no one gauged it better than the legendary V Shantaram who used his memorable films to attack the malaise of untouchability and caste, forced marriages of young women to (rich) old men, dowry, communalism and regionalism, as well as to humanise policemen, prostitutes, and convicts.

And, he was not deterred when any of his courageous films ran afoul of vested interests.

When his “Apna Desh (Hindi)/Nam Nadu (Tamil)” (1949), an eloquent appeal against the deepening fault-lines threatening to destabilise the newly-independent country, faced an ill-informed and easily-swayed public and a malicious media campaign, there were powerful backers to ensure it faced no problems. These were no less than Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Morarji Desai, the then home ministers of India and Bombay state, his daughter recounted in his autobiography.

Far ahead of his times but constantly re-inventing himself, Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre,...

The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.Garam Hava.“The land is divided, lives are shattered. Storms rage in every heart; it’s the same here or there. Funeral pyres in every home, the flames mount higher. Every city is deserted; it’s the same here or there.”Thus begins M.S. Sathyu’s seminal historical drama Garam Hava (Scorching Winds, 1974), one of the most insightful films about the 1947 Partition of India. The Partition was a cataclysmic migration event in the histories of both India and Pakistan—the “here or there” referenced in these lines by screenwriter and poet Kaifi Azmi, though it’s purposefully not made explicit which refers to which. In Garam Hava, a shoe manufacturer named Salim Mirza (an eloquent final performance in the legendary career of actor Balraj Sahni) watches his family migrate to...

Multi-tasker Remo D'Souza barely has time to stop and enjoy the super-success of Abcd 2. He is already planning his next film in the Abcd franchise. Taking time off for a quick conversation Remo says, "I think Siddharth Roy Kapur (producer, Utv) is planning a party. I am now thinking about the next Abcd film." Remo says, "Yes, we are now planning Abcd 3. All we know at this point of time is that it has to be even bigger, in every sense, than Part 2. When we had decided to do Part 2, we had to make sure it was several times ahead of the first film. One has to keep taking the franchise forward. Or else there is no point in doing sequels." Remo is proud of the fact that he has incepted the revival of the dance genre of filmmaking in Bollywood. "Prior to Abcd, dance films had ceased for a very long time.

This soul stirring song Aye Maalik Tere Bande Hum .... from V. Shantaram's classic film Do Aankhen Barah Haath is arguably one of the finest spiritual songs ever penned in Indian Cinema. The highpoint of this song is that even today it is sung as a morning prayer in many schools in India and believe it not, few schools in Pakistan too sing this song!

Wanna guess who wrote this marvelous song? It is a tragedy that while the song is remembered the poet, who penned it, has been faded from the memory of the people. Well, the poet is Pt. Bharat Vyas, the champion of spiritual and thought provoking lyrics. Most of his songs came straight from his heart. Aadha Hai Chandrama Raat Aadhee... (Navrang); Saranga Teri Yaad Me Nain Hue Bechain ...(Saranga); Aa Laut Ke Aaja Mere Meet... (Rani Roopmati); Nirbal Se Ladai Balvan Ki, Ye Kahani Hai Diye Ki Aur Tufaan Ki.

Dennis Bartok

For many years I was the head of film programming for the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, a non-profit film group that currently runs the Egyptian and Aero Theatres. As part of my job I tried to keep my finger to the pulse of national cinemas from around the globe, both new and old, by combing through festival catalogues, talking to other programmers and watching as many movies as I could get my hands on (much of these in the old VHS days!)

In the 1990s and early 2000s I saw the rediscovery of some amazing bodies of world cinema such as Italian Horror and Giallo Cinema from the 1960s & 1970s by directors like Mario Bava and Dario Argento, and Japanese Outlaw Cinema from the same period by hard-hitting genre filmmakers like Kinji Fukasaku, Seijun Suzuki and Kihachi Okamoto. But one thing I didn’t see, in repertory film calendars,...

V. Shantaram

What:

“Portrait of a Pioneer” – The Life and Work of V. Shantaram at The Fd Zone

When:

10th May 2014, 4 pm

Entry:

Free

Venue:

Rr 2 Theatre

6th floor

Stage 2 Building

Films Division

Pedder Road

Mumbai

About the event:

“Portrait Of A Pioneer”, which chronicles V. Shantaram’s illustrious seventy-year career and “Symphony of Life”, produced by him for Films Division will be screened.

“Portrait Of A Pioneer” is a feature-length documentary that looks at the legacy of V. Shantaram’s contribution to cinema. It is also a personal tribute to him by his daughter Madhura Jasraj, who takes us through his life and work with great intimacy and insight. The film is a treat for people familiar with the work of V. Shantaram as well as those keen to learn about it.

Starting as an actor in silent films in the 1920s, V. Shantaram went from one cinematic landmark...

Veteran filmmaker Anand Patwardhan was honoured with the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to promotion of documentary films movement in India at the 13th Mumbai International Film Festival (Miff) that began today.

Anand Patwardhan is known for his activism through social action documentaries on topics such as corruption, slum dwellers, nuclear arms race, citizen activism and communalism. His notable films include Bombay: Our City (1985), In the Name of God (1992), Father, Son and Holy War (1995), War and Peace (2002) and Jai Bhim Comrade (2011).

His latest documentary Jai Bhim Comrade won the Best Film award at Miff 2012.

Patwardhan in his acceptance speech said, “My feelings are mixed. My films speak about the reality of the disadvantaged. They have raised several socially relevant issues, but the impact has been marginal. The issues I highlighted through my films since 1980s continue to exist – rampant demolition of slums and uprooting of poor, communal violence,...

Mumbai, Dec 8: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan got nostalgic when he returned to late filmmaker V. Shantaram's Rajkamal Studios, where he had shot many important sequences for his blockbuster movie "Deewaar", for an advertisement shoot.

"At work. At the iconic Rajkamal Studios after ages. The great V. Shantaram still lives among this creation of his," Amitabh tweeted early Sunday morning.

The 71-year-old, who shot an advertisement for a real estate company, went down memory lane and cherished filming in the studio years back.

"At Rajkamal Studios, iconic, strange nostalgia - Shooting on the same floor of 'Deewar'.

The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (Miff) 2014 has extended the deadline for national and international sections to September 30, 2013.

The festival features the following sections: a) International Competition, b) National Competition, c) Miff Prism [Non Competition], d) Retrospectives / Special Packages, e) Marketing.

International Competition – Only films made in India and abroad between 1st September, 2011 to 31st August, 2013 are eligible.

National Competition: Only films made in India by an Indian citizen between 1st September, 2011 to 31st August, 2013 are eligible.

Films which do not find a place in the Competition Section may be screened in Miff Prism section on the recommendations of the Selection Committee.

For Indian filmmakers, Regular Entry Fee – Rs.1000/- & Late Fee – Rs. 2000/-

For foreign filmmakers Regular Entry Fee – Us$50 or equivalent and Rs.2000/- Late Fee – Us $ 75 or equivalent.

Mumbai International Film Festival offers cash awards and incentives of Rs 63 lakhs. Miff honours a veteran...

Censor board has always been a hurdle for filmmakers down the years. But are you aware about Bollywood's first film to face censor trouble?Well, it was producer/director and actor V.Shantaram's silent film Udaykal released in 1930. The movie landed in trouble as it was based on the life of Shivaji Maharaj and depicted how Shivaji Maharaj revolted against the foreign Mughul Empire. The British censor board saw the underlining message that the movie convened to revolt against the...

The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (Miff) 2014 is calling for entries. The festival features the following sections: a) International Competition, b) National Competition, c) Miff Prism [Non Competition], d) Retrospectives / Special Packages, e) Marketing.

International Competition – Only films made in India and abroad between 1st September, 2011 to 31st August, 2013 are eligible.

National Competition: Only films made in India by an Indian citizen between 1st September, 2011 to 31st August, 2013 are eligible.

Films which do not find a place in the Competition Section may be screened in Miff Prism section on the recommendations of the Selection Committee.

For Indian filmmakers, Regular Entry Fee – Rs.1000/- & Late Fee – Rs. 2000/-

For foreign filmmakers Regular Entry Fee – Us$50 or equivalent and Rs.2000/- Late Fee – Us $ 75 or equivalent.

Mumbai International Film Festival offers cash awards and incentives of Rs 63 lakhs. Miff honours a veteran documentary film maker with the ‘Dr. V. Shantaram...

Background music is the backbone of a movie because it brings alive the emotions and drama of a scene. Just visualize the famous scene from Dewaar where Shashi Kapoor confronts Amitabh Bachchan and solicits, "Bhai Tum Sign Karoge Ya Nahi..." without the background music. Despite power packed dialogues and excellent performances the scene will fall flat to create a dramatic effect. That's the power of background music. However V. Shantaram, Indian cinema's legendary filmmaker...

Choreographer turned director Remo D'Souza is currently the talk of the town with the immense success of his film Abcd. While the makers of the film are planning a sequel, Remo on the other hand is looking much ahead. In fact Remo is looking at remaking the 1959 film Navrang. Confirming the news Remo says, "Yes, I am currently in talks to acquire the rights of the film. However apart from this there is nothing much to say...I have always wanted to remake the film, hence I am trying to get the rights." As for whether the film will be produced by Utv again, Remo says, "Currently we are working out the sequel to Abcd, post that I will think of making Navrang if I get the rights. However it is very early to talk about who will produce the film." Navrang, noted for its dance sequences with lead actress...

Kolkata, Jan 9: Celebrating a century of Indian cinema through posters, lobby cards, song booklets and magazine covers of mainstream and rare B-movies, the "Maya Mahal" exhibition began here Wednesday.

The 19-day exhibition provides an alternative history of Indian cinema and helps track the art of film publicity. It is set to conclude Jan 27.

The exhibition also showcases old stunt-based films, and brings to the public a gamut of paper artefacts from entrepreneur Priya Paul's personal collection.

The display includes song booklets of V. Shantaram's 1932 celluloid venture "Maya Machindra", as also posters and lobby cards.

On the heels of the Toronto International Film Festival with its focus on the films and filmmakers of Mumbai, the Tiff Cinematheque presents, as part of its fall offerings, a series on the relationship between German Expressionist films and those of Indian cinema pre-Bollywood. Renowned Indian cinema curator Meenakshi Shedde presents a programme that highlights the links between Indian and German filmmaking, and includes a slate of films that illustrate a fantasy India as seen in German films such as Franz Osten’s Light of Asia as well as films that inspired and influenced Indian cinema, such as Josef von Sternberg’s classic 1930 film The Blue Angel, which was remade by V. Shantaram as Pinjra in 1972.

Indian Expressionism runs at the Tiff Bell Lightbox from November 14 to 21. Film screenings include (all information via the Tiff Press Office):

Wednesday, November 14 at 6:15 p.m.

Light of Asia (Prem Sanyas/Die Leuchte Asiens)

Franz Osten,...

Indian films influenced by German expressionism will be screened at a series titled ‘Indian Expressionism’ at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Bell LightBox. The film package, curated by Indian critic and consultant, Meenakshi Shedde will run from 14th to 21st November, 2012.

German Expressionism refers to a series of creative movements in Germany prior to the First World War. The movement sought for change by experimenting with bold, new ideas and artistic styles.

The films to be screened are:

Light of Asia (14th November, 6:15pm)

Hindi: Prem Sanyas / German: Die leuchte asiens

Dir.: Franz Osten / Starring: Himansu Rai and Seeta Devi

Light of Asia (1925) is an Indo-German co-production based on the life of Buddha. This is a silent film with English intertitles.

The Blue Angel (14th November, 8:30pm)

German: Der Blaue Engel

Dir.: Josef Sternberg / Starring: Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings

The Blue Angel (1930) is a German film with English subtitles.

Rani Mukerji is all set for the first look of her upcoming film Aiyyaa today. Keeping the theme of the film in mind where Rani plays the character of a Marathi mulgi, the first trailer was supposed to be launched at Dadar's Plaza cinema, founded by legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram. However, due to permission issues the venue of the film got shifted to Cinemax in Versova.The film is loosely based on one of the stories of Kundalkar's acclaimed Marathi film Gandha...

Rani Mukerji is all set for the first look of her upcoming film Aiyyaa today. Keeping the theme of the film in mind where Rani plays the character of a Marathi mulgi, the first trailer was supposed to be launched at Dadar's Plaza cinema, founded by legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram. However, due to permission issues the venue of the film got shifted to Cinemax in Versova.The film is loosely based on one of the stories of Kundalkar's acclaimed Marathi film Gandha...

Madhuri Dixit and filmmaker Shyam Benegal will soon receive the Raj Kapoor awards constituted by the Maharashtra government.

Benegal will be conferred with the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award-2012, while Dixit will be honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award-2012, informed Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

While on the other hand, in the Marathi film category, the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to veteran actress Leela Gandhi, while the V. Shantaram Special Contribution Award will be conferred to Dilip Prabhavalkar.

Besides this, the awards that were constituted by the Maharashtra government, will also feature a cash prize of Rs.2,00,000, a citation and a memento for each of the winners.

Shyam Benegal

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal will receive the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 instituted by the Maharashtra government.

The Maharashtra government announced the recipients of the state cultural awards on Friday.

Actress Madhuri Dixit Nene will receive the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award 2012.

Each of these awards carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a citation and a memento.

In the Marathi film industry, V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award 2012 will be bestowed upon veteran Marathi actress Leela Gandhi. Actor Dilip Prabhavalkar will receive the V. Shantaram Special Contribution Award 2012.

Bollywood veterans, director Shyam Benegal and actress Madhuri Dixit will receive this year.s Raj Kapoor awards constituted by the Maharashtra government, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan announced here.While Benegal shall be conferred the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award-2012, Dixit will be honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award 2012, Chavan informed the state legislature Friday.In the Marathi film industry category, the prestigious V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for this year will be given to veteran actress Leela Gandhi. The V. Shantaram Special Contribution Award will be conferred on stage and film actor Dilip Prabhavalkar, famous as Mahatma Gandhi in Lage Raho Munnabhai.Constituted by the Maharashtra government, each award carries a cash prize of Rs.200,000, a citation and a memento and shall be conferred at a public function.

Mumbai, April 21: Bollywood veterans, director Shyam Benegal and actress Madhuri Dixit will receive this year's Raj Kapoor awards constituted by the Maharashtra government, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan announced here.

While Benegal shall be conferred the Raj Kapoor Lifetime Achievement Award-2012, Dixit will be honoured with the Raj Kapoor Special Contribution Award-2012, Chavan informed the state legislature Friday.

In the Marathi film industry category, the prestigious V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for this year will be given to veteran actress Leela Gandhi. The V. Shantaram Special Contribution.

To mark the centenary of the Indian film industry falling May 3, 2012, a fitting tribute will be paid to its legendary founding father, Dhundiraj G. Phalke, famous as Dadasaheb Phalke, an official said here Friday.A full-size wax statue of Dadasaheb Phalke will be created and installed at the Celebrity Wax Museum (Cwm) in Lonavala, according to a trustee of the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy.A Memorandum of Understanding was signed here late Thursday with Cwm.s managing director Sunil Kandalloor, commissioning the statue, which will be ready by May 3, the trustee said here.The occasion was to mark the 68th death anniversary of Dadasaheb Phalke yesterday at the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, in which a host of Bollywood personalities paid homage to the father of Indian cinema.Born on April 30, 1870, at Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik, Dadasaheb Phalke made his debut with India.s first full-length silent movie .Raja Harishchandra. in 1913.In a career spanning nearly 25 years,...

There was a time in the Hindi film industry when idealism was highly valued. From Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa to V. Shantaram’s Do Aankhen Baarah Haath, from Mehboob Khan’s Mother India to Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam, the protaganists were people who lived and died for their ideals. Their idealism was stubborn even though it gave them great personal pain.

Things started changing in the 70s when the hardships of stubborn idealism gave birth to personal frustration in the new generation – which found an outlet in the angry young man persona. At the same time, the hippy culture was bringing in a new wave of individualism. The youngsters of the era started turning rebels which was well captured by Raj Kapoor in Bobby, which had teenage lovers rejecting their parents authority and eloping. However the idealism was not totally lost, as the older generation held on to it. Film...

The prize money for “Best Student Film Award” in Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (Miff) 2012 has been enhanced to Rs.1.00 lakh from Rs.25, 000 in Miff-2010. This section was introduced in 2010 to promote student filmmakers within India.

The award is sponsored by Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (Idpa).

Besides, a “Dr.V. Shantaram Lifetime Acheivenment Award” will be given to an Indian documentary filmmaker for his / her contribution to National documentary movement. This award comprises a trophy and Rs.5.00 lakhs .

12th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (Miff) is scheduled to be held from 3 – 9 February, 2012 at Ncpa in Mumbai.

The festival is open for submissions. The Entry Form, Rules & Regulations are available on website www.filmsdivision.org and can also be obtained from office of the Films Division in Mumbai, and Distribution Branch Offices at Nagpur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Thiruvananthapuram,...

Noted film historian and film scholar Bd Garga (86) passed away Monday morning following a brief illness.

One of India’s most eminent film scholars, Garga compiled the first film anthology to commemorate the golden jubilee of Indian cinema in 1963.

He had written, directed and produced over fifty documentary films in his lifetime. He was also a founding member of the National Film Archive, Pune.

He was honoured by the Film Federation of India for his contribution to the growth of cinema in the country. In 1996, he received the first V. Shantaram Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Mumbai International Film Festival.

Among his books are– “So Many Cinemas: The Motion Picture in India” and “The Art of Cinema: An Insider’s Journey through Fifty Years of Film History”. His book, “From Raj to Swaraj: The Non-fiction Film in India” won the National Award for the Best Book on Cinema for 2009. His latest,...

Vikramaditya Motwane’s “Udaan”, the film that made it to Un Certain Regard at Cannes International Film festival after seven years has been the talk of the town lately. With Udaan, Indian cinema’s seven year long jinxed relationship with the premier film festival has come to an end. Murali Nair’s Arimpara was the last film to have made it to Un Certain Regard, the section that carries the second most prestigious award, in the year 2003. Prior to that, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas was presented as a special screening out of competition at the festival in 2002.

Come to think of it, India and Cannes have had a cordial relationship right from the start. 1946, the year one of the oldest film festivals began at Cannes, Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar was screened as a Feature film in competition. Neecha Nagar was a pioneering effort in realistic Indian cinema and...

Veteran film maker and author Vijaya Mulay’s book ‘From Rajahs and Yogis to Gandhi and Beyond: India in International Cinema’ was released by actor and film maker Nandita Das at the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation films on Saturday.

Published by the Seagull Foundation of Kolkata, the book is meant to be the archival record of the most important moments of cine history of the last hundred years. Ms Mulay had bagged the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for documentaries in 2000 and the Vikram sarabhai Lifetime achievement Award for educational communication. She was also the President of the Federation of Film Societies of India.

It is the 76th birth anniversary of noted playback singer Mahendra Kapoor. Born in 1934 in Amritsar, Kapoor's voice delighted music lovers across generations. The phenomenal singer was another name for patriotic songs. He got into singing through an all-India singing competition. And, later on music director C Ramchandra gave him his first break with Aadha Hai Chandrama Raat Aadhi for V Shantaram's Navrang in 1958, which opened an entire new world for him. Then, came songs like Chalo Ek Bar Chalo (Gumraah), Neele Gagan Ke Tale (Humraaz) and many others, which made him a household ...

Kiran Shantaram, the son of the late doyen among filmmakers- V. Shantaram who had founded the ‘Race Awards’ seventeen years ago in memory of his father said that though as many as seven hundred films were being made in our country in various languages, very few films could be considered for the Race awards for the simple reason that there were strict rules and regulations when it comes to eligibility for awards.

Kiran continued, “We do not accept any film which sets out to glorify.

Rani Mukherjee collected her trophy last night at the V Shantaram Awards ceremony held in honour of the late great film-maker, responsible for many significant films of the golden era of the 1950s including the classic Do Aankhen Barah Haath. Rani's award was in recognition of her performance in Dil Bole Hadippa. "This feels great because getting a V. Shantaram award means a lot to me," she said, "We all know that we are the unfortunate ones who were not born in his era and didn't get an opportunity to work with him."

Prakash Raj won the Best Male Actor Award for his role in Kanchivaram, a gripping tale of poverty in India near the end of British colonial rule and the political forces that will help to shape India's destiny. The film was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008 and has gone on to win several awards.

Click above for more stills Jimmy Sheirgill is ecstatic. For the first time in 13 years, he has been nominated for an award. If that wasn't good enough, he has also won the award, that of a 'Best Artiste In Supporting Role' category (for A Wednesday) in the recently held V. Shantaram Awards. "Yeah, it's a proud moment for me, since I had never been nominated earlier. Even though I started out 13 years back, awards were always elusive. This is why, even when I was nominated for the V. Shantaram Awards that by itself was a great moment for me. I was shooting in Punjab for my Punjabi film Munde UK De when I was informed about my nomination. I just flew down to Mumbai on Friday for the award ceremony and was pleasantly shocked when my name was announced as a winner", says Jimmy in a thrilled tone. Others who...

A Wednesday has made a big impression at the V. Shantaram awards that were announced yesterday. It has won awards in as many as five categories.While it won the Silver award for the Best Film (producers Shital Bhatia, Anjum Rizvi and Ronnie Screwvala), Neeraj Pandey won the Gold award for the Best Director. Aamir Khan followed with a Silver award in this category for Taare Zameen Par while Ashutosh Gowarikar bagged the Bronze for the Jodhaa Akbar....

Mumbai, Aamir Khan for "Taare Zameen Par" and Adoor Gopalakrishnan for Malayalam film "Naalu Pennungal" are among the directors nominated for this year's V. Shantaram Award. The Rajkamal Academy of Cinematic Excellence (Race), which for the last 15 years has been annually presenting the awards named after legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram, will give away the 15th awards here Dec 26.Apart from Aamir Khan and Adoor Gopalakrishnan, the others nominated for best director are Mangesh Haldawale for Marathi film "Tingya", Ashutosh Gowariker ("Jodhaa Akbar"), Girish Kasaravalli ("Gulabi Talkies" in Kannada) and Neeraj Pandey ("A Wednesday"). For the best film, the nominations are for "A Wednesday", "Jodhaa Akbar", "Taare Zameen Par", "Kadha ...