Venkatesh bags best actor award
Noted Telugu actor Venkatesh received the best actor award for Kalisundam Raa from Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at a grand function at Lalitha Kala Thoranam Auditorium recently. Actress Maheswari (Sridevi’s cousin) received the best actress award for Nee Kosam while debutant director Uday Shankar bagged the best director award for Kalisundam Raa.

Chief Minister expressed his hope that Hyderabad could become the capital for Indian films and also promised to reduce Entertainment Tax for old classics.
Melodious singer Gangadhar of Eenadu Group sang numbers from the award winning films alongwith Vijayalaxmi and entertained the huge gathering. Veteran actress Shantakumari was honoured with prestigious Raghupati Venkiah Naidu Lifetime Achievement award.

Thespian actor and advisor to AP Government ANR urged the government to reduce the Entertainment Tax for old classics since the new generation can learn a lot from these films. Later DVS Raju, chairman of the selection jury, requested the government to re-formulate the guidelines for selection process to make it even more foolproof.

Responding to them, the Chief Minister, in his address said, “We would form a committee to work out fresh guidelines for the selection and also I would think about reducing the ET for old films. If we say ‘old’ films, many producers may try to exploit the term ‘old’, so I would suggest the term ‘deserving’ films”.

Home Minister Devendra Goud expressed his happiness on the boom in the industry and urged the trade bodies to utilise its in-built strength to solve their problems.

Best supporting actor K Vishwanath (Kali), best supporting actress Radhika (Prema Katha), best film critic Vasiraju Prakasam and Akkineni Kutumba Rao, who received the best children’s film award for Pathanagaramlo Pasivadu are some of the other award winners for the year 1999.

BVSP