BEST SERIAL - DRAMA

THODA HAI THODE KI ZAROORAT HAI
I am happy but a little nervous too. I know expectations will be sky high. Last year Sailaab has been nominated for four categories and it picked up quite a few coveted awards. So since we started shooting for Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai we have been waiting for the screen awards, hoping we'd be in the nominations list. And we are!

NEEM KA PEDH
(Nawman Malik)
We believe in doing quality work and it's heartening when our efforts are appreciated. Dr Rahi Masoom Reza gave me this touching script at a time when I saw struggling and this was one of the first serials to be shifted from Lucknow DD to DD1. Now it is on DD3. It's already won the UP government's award and the Nargis Dutt award.

MARGARITA
(Parvati Balgopalan)
What really drew me to this unconventional story (It's been adapted from a Mexican novel, Like Water For Chocolate) was the element of magical realism. If M a r g a r i t a stands out it is mainly for e x c e p t i o n a l camerawork by Rafi Mahmood and Prakash Kutty, brilliant performances by all the artistes, and of course Goa and its food.

BEST SERIAL - COMEDY

MAST MAST HAI ZINDAGI
It's great feeling to be in the top three list. I had a lot of problems with the producer and the channel, which is why this nomination is all the more appreciated. In Mast Mast Hai zindagi (earlier Filmi Chakkar) we always took care to ensure that there was no buffoonery. I'm glad there's still an audience for our kind of entertainment.

CHAMATKAR
Parto Ghosh
I saw television as the medium of the future so I wanted to try my hand at it despite my tight schedule. I was lucky to find a director like Anant Mahadevan who had a new concept. I knew instinctively that I had a winner. The family audience love it. I am glad the jury did too. I know winning is a different game but I have always believed in Chamatkars.

KABHI IDHAR KABHI UDHAR
(Markand Adhikari)
I'm thrilled to be nominated. Earlier we had the audience rolling with the hilarious Shreeman Shreemati, and now Kabhi Idhar Khabhi Udhar has them chuckling again. It is about a man torn between two wives and the situation inspires some very funny gags. Shekhar Suman as the harassed husband is just great.

BEST TALK / CHAT SHOW

IN FOCUS
(Markand Adhikari)
We did not want to be branded as serial makers. As a software company we wanted to have a broader base. That's why we started In Focus. And it's nice to know that even when we get serious there's an audience for out shows. We have a lot of other serious shows like Current Affairs and some news based programmes on air.

RENDEZVOUS WITH SIMI GAREWAL
(Simi Garewal)
Nominations don't mean anything to me. I should win the award. Winning is important. I guess, my chat show has quickly become popular because it doesn't attack the gue-sts. I make an effort to empat-hise with them. This is not the age to victimise celebrities. W need to be very understanding when dealing with them.

THE PRIYA TENDULKAR SHOW
(Priya Tendulakar)
I am honoured and excited to be nominated. This talk show is my life. And the fact that it is being genuinely appreciated is great high. In the forthcoming episodes there's one on coalition governments, white-collared crime and one on cricket for which I have roped in the controversial Manoj Prabhakar.

BEST ANCHOR/
INTERVIEWER -TALK / CHAT SHOW

KARAN THAPAR
(In Focus)
I am really flattered. On in Focus I have interviewed almost all the important politicians in India. We have also had people currently in the news. Recently Naseeruddin Shah was on the show and he made for a great interview. The best part of this show is that we never record for more than 25 minutes. So there's no fear of any kind of editing mischief.

SIMI GAREWAL
(Rendezvous with Simi Garewal)
I have always wanted to do a chat show. Even before satellite channels came in, I had approached Doordarshan. But DD wasn't interested. I thought STAR plus was the perfect platform for my show because it is sophisticated and in English. Within five minutes they'd given me the okay and complete creative freedom.

PRIYA TENDULKAR
(The Priya Tendulkar Show)
What can I say except that I'm doubly thrilled and honoured., It is a great privilege to get two nominations. My talk show, The Priya Tendulkar Show, is already in the running for the award for best talk show and now you tell me that I have also won a nomination for best talk show anchor. I am on the top of the world.

BEST FILM - BASED PROGRAMME

COLGATE TOP TEN
(Satish Kaushik)
I want to rejoice. I want to celebrate. But I am too tied up at the moment and too tired to react the way I want to. I hope the Screen-Videocon award show that I am directing is a resounding success. There would be cause for a double celebration if I won the award too. I have given my best and I leave the major decision to the greatest judge, God.

KEHNE MAIN KYA HARZ HAI
(Rajesh Sethi)
I feel great my show has been nominated. We all worked very hard on Kehne Main Kya Harz Hai. Sajid khan and I have been buddies since we were knee-high and films were always a common interest. We've been discussing this subject avidly for years. That's why we decided to come together and make this show.

OOH LA LA
Shrey Guleri
To be nominated for the third consecutive year is great. For two years we've won, this year too we are keeping our fingers crossed. When Ooh La La came on air there were already 10-12 countdown shows. To be different we created the couch potato who later changes into a VJ. Even if the performance is not so strong the character is still watchable.

BEST ANCHOR / ACTOR
IN A FILM - BASED PROGRAMME

SATISH SHAH
(All The Best)
Getting nominated has become a habit. Last year I completed a hat-trick of awards. I started anchoring All The Best for the Adhikari Brothers who did Philips Top Ten Earlier. But the main reason was my friend Shafi Inamdar. If it had been anchored by any-one else I wouldn't have accepted it. I'm glad I did. I enjoy working with Swaroop Sampat.

SAJID KHAN
(Kehne Mein Kya Harz Hai)
I am getting used to being nominated and not winning. This time too if Satish Shah gets the award, I'll be happy. But it will be great if I win. There is this misconception that the industry guys hate me. Most of them have congratulated me. They like the show because it is done in good humour and not meant to be taken personally.

SATISH KAUSHIK - PANKAJ KAPUR
(Colgate Top Ten)
Satish Kaushik Spoke:
This nomination has really come as a big boost to the artiste in me. There was some criticism about what Pankaj and I did on the show and that was worrying. I hope this nomination will silence some of the critics. Winning the award could silence all of them.

BEST ANCHOR / ACTRESS
IN A FILM - BASED PROGRAMME

FARIDA JALAL
(Star Yaar kalakar)
I am absolutely thrilled that I am nominated. Unfortunately, I won't be in Mumbai on the day of the awards. I will be shooting in Hyderabad for Raj Kanwar's film. I hope he lets me fly down. I love anchoring Star Yaar kalakar. I get a chance to meet my friends and older colleagues through the show. It's great.

NEELAM
(Oah La La)
I'm delighted to be nominated. The concept was pretty novel and exciting. There have been changes no doubt, as we developed it. I was to play just six characters initially but more were added as we went along. I loved playing the Chinese cook the best.

RAAGESHWARI
(MTV Ek Do Teen)
I feel really good to be nominated again this year. Last year I won the award and I hope that this year too. I will be able to repeat the winning performance. The episode that I like best is the children's special which brought out the child in me. It was absolutely hilarious. The show has also won MTV a lot of acclaim

BEST DIRECTOR

RAVI RAI
(Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai)
Screen awards are very prestigious for me. This is one magazine which has always backed me. The fact that I have made it to the tope three list of TV directors proves that there is no replacement for good work. As far as Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai is concerned, all I can say is that it is a serial made from the heart.

GURBIR SINGH
(Neem Ka Pedh)
Nawman Malik Spoke on behalf of Gurbir Singh
My director is out of town at the moment. He's shooting somewhere in Chadigarh. But I'm sure that when the news is conveyed to him he'll be thrilled to know that he has been nominated for the Screen awards. It will be great if he wins. He has done a remarkable job.

PARVATHI BALAGOPALAN
(Margarita)
Margarita was a different serial to make. And at one stage even I was a little scared. People were cribbing, "Yeah Kya ho raha hai, kuch samajh mein nahin aa raha hai, aisa ho hi nahin sakta." But I still went by the book religiously and I'm happy with the final product. I'm glad some people have appreciated my efforts.

BEST ACTOR

ALOKNATH
(Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai)
I'm elated I've known Ravi Rai for the last 15 years. We became close during Imtihaan. We wanted to make a family oriented serial on emotional bonding. But we were apprehensive. Would it be accepted? It has been. I love doing the role because it has so many different shades to it. It's emotional but there are moments of wry humour.

FAROUQUE SHAIKH
(Chamatkar)
I have known Parto Ghosh for several years. He explained the concept to me and I realised it has a lot of potential. No, I wasn't apprehensive about whether I'd be able to carry off a comedy. But I was worried about the script. That can reduce you to the status of a clown if it's not quite right. I'm happy to be nominated. I hope I win.

PANKAJ KAPUR
(Neem Ka Pedh)
It's nice to be nominated for a Screen award. It was the story and the character of the serial that attracted me. Dr Rahi Masoom Reza was the writer and in the beginning I was supposed to do only six episodes. But Dr Reza liked my work and I was retained for the entire serial. It was great working in Neem Ka Pedh. It's a role with many shades.

BEST ACTRESS

MRINAL KULKARNI
(Teacher)
I have a very well-defined role in Teacher. From an infatuated lover to the disillusioned wife, Uma is a character who is perpetually in a dilemma. A rich man's daughter, she marries a principled teacher and resents the fact that his students are more important to him than her. I'm thrilled I'm in the same league as Rajeshwari and Prajakti.

RAJESHWARI
(Margarita)
I am thrilled, nervous and hopeful. I worked hard to be convincing in an unconventional role which spanned from 15 to 37 years. For the middle-aged look I used a little padding on the hips and for 6-7 episodes I shot with cotton in my mouth because A wanted heavy jowls. It was my most exciting role after Suraj Ka Satwan Ghoda.

PRAJAKTI DESHMUKH
(Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai)
I am thrilled. A nomination is as good as an award. From day one, I have been enjoying working in Thoda Hai Thode Ki Zaroorat Hai. I love playing Kavita. She's a happily married girl who suddenly loses her husband and then, slowly, after months of trauma, makes another life for herself. This is a more realistic role than that in Sailab.

BEST TV CONCEPT

TOP JOB
(Pritish Nandy)
I feel delighted. Screen-Videocon awards are very important to us. It shows quality recognition in the industry. I wanted to do something on television during the fiftieth year of Indian's independence. I wanted to talk about living achievers be it individuals, corporate movements or institutions. That's how India The Awakening came about. As for Top Job, we have just completed 300 episodes. It is a show that profiles leading professionals from different fields and career opportunities in that field. It is one of the longest running shows on Doordarshan.

MAIN DILLI HOON
(Nadira Babbar)
India was celebrating the 50th year of its independence and I wanted to do something for a great nation that has withstood every form of calamity. I wanted to show that there is unity in diversity. India with its rich and unique cultural heritage is a winner. I was confident my serial would be appreciated since we knew what we were making.