SARFAROSH IS MOST POPULAR FILM

National awards for Vanaprastham, Mohan Lal and Kiron Kher
By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI: THE cup of joy brimmeth over yet again for Malayalam filmdom after the tiny landscape cornered as many as 14 feature and non-feature awards, the biggest haul for any language, at the national film awards announced last week.

It is once again the extension of previous years. Starting from 1954 when Ramu Kariat’s Neelakuyil brought the Rajat Kamal to the state, Malayalam films have continued to dominate the scene. Last year as many as 12 awards, including the best actor and director awards, came to the land.

For the last three years in succession, Malayalam actors were adjudged the best. If Balachandra Menon and Suresh Gopi shared the honours in 1997, it was superstar Mammootty who brought the ribbon home, last year.

Leading the pack now is superstar Mohan Lal, who won the national award for the third time, with his searing performance in Vanaprastham, which has also romped home as the best film of the year. In 1989, he had won a special mention for his performance in Kireedom and in 1991, he was adjudged the best actor for his role in Bharatam, produced by himself.

Kerala has more reasons to cheer: John Mathew Mathan, the director of the Hindi film, Sarfarosh which won the best popular film award, is a Malayalee, too. So too, are Madambu Kunhikuttan (screenplay), MR Rajan, the third-time achiever in the category of biographical films, VK Prakash (Punaradhivasam -- best Malayalam film), Madhu Eravankara and I Shanmughadas (critics award) and Pradeep Kumar (debut film).

Malayalam feature film Vanaprastham produced by Mohan Lal and directed by Shaji N Karun won the award for the best feature for its "multi-layered treatment of issues like caste system...".

Hindi feature film Sarfarosh was adjudged the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment. Buddhadeb Das Gupta bagged the best director award for the Bengali film, Uttara.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam has won the award for the best cinematography, art direction, music and choreography.

Actress Kiron Kher bagged the best actress award for the Bengali feature film, Bariwali, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. Atul Kulkarni got the best supporting actor award for Hey! Ram, for which Sarika Kamal Haasan won the award for the best costume design. Shool bagged the award for the best feature film in Hindi. The best children’s film award was bagged by Hindi film Goal, by Gul Bahar Singh for Children’s Film Society.

The awards for best male playback singer was won by MG Sreekumar and best female playback singer award went to Jayshree Dasgupta. The Punjabi feature Shaheed Udham Singh bagged the Nargis Dutt award for national integration while the Indira Gandhi award for the first film of a director was shared by Dollar Dreams and Laado.