Kantara and KGF 2 win max at Critics' Awards

Bengaluru: Rishab Shetty's Kantara and Yash's KGF Chapter 2, won four and three awards respectively at the 4th Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards on Sunday evening. Rishab Shetty who starred in directed Kantara, won the Best Actor award for the film while the film itself was adjudged the Best Film of 2022 by movie critics. Kantara also won the Best Music award for Ajaneesh Loknath and Best Stunt/Action award for Vikram Mor.

The gala event at Hotel Lalit Ashok was inaugurated by senior directors Rajendra Singh Babu, Nagatihalli Chandrashekar, actress Ramya and Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar. The star-studded event witnessed the presence of Sandalwood's who-is-who. Top producers, directors, technicians of the Kannada film industry were witness to the year's first awards event. Alliance University, Turbo Steel, Anand Audio, A2 Music, Mysore Sandal Soap, Suraj Productions, Horse Fashions, G Academy and Veeraloka Books were among the supporters of the Awards Night.

KGF Chapter 2, starring Yash and directed by Prashant Neel won three awards; Best Cinematography for Bhuvan Gowda, Best Editing for Ujwal Kulkarni and Best VFX for Udaya Ravi Hegde. While these two films bagged the maximum number of awards, the other top awards had winners from other films. The Best Director award went to Kiranraj K for 777 Charlie, while actor-director Darling Krishna won the Best Screenplay Award for Love Mocktail 2.

The Best Lead Actress award was won by Sharmiela Mandre for Gaalipata 2, while Sharvari won the Best Child Artist award making it two for 777 Charlie. Veteran actress Sudharani bagged the Best Supporting Actress award for Thurthu Nirgamana, while Suchendra Prasad won the Best Supporting Actor award for Wheelchair Romeo.

In the music category, it was a mixed bag with five different films winning the five awards. The technical awards were swept by KGF Chapter 2.

Seven new awards were introduced this year. Five of these were for debutants. Among these, Sridhar Shikaripura won the Best Writer (Debut) and Best Director (Debut) Award for Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage. The Best Producer (Debut) award named after Puneeth Rajkumar went to Pawan Wadeyar for Dollu. The Best Debut Actor award named after Sanchari Vijay went to Pruthvi Shamanur for Padavi Poorva while the Best Debut Actress award named after the first Kannada film heroine Tripuramba went to Yasha Shivakumar for Mansoon Raaga. Going beyond films, the Chandanavana Academy constituted two new awards for online content creators. KS Parameshwara who runs the Kala Madhyama Youtube channel won the Best Youtube Creator of the Year award while Vikas (of Vicky Pedia fame) was adjudged the Best Social Media Entertainer of the Year. Presidents of the various film industry bodies including Karnataka Media Academy president K Sadashiva Shenoy, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy president Ashok Kashyap, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president Ba Ma Harish and Kannada Film Producers Association president Umesh Banakar were present at the event.

Lending support to the film journalists were other journalists' bodies. Press Club of Bengaluru president Sridhar, Karnataka Photojournalists Association president Mohan, Karnataka Sports Journalists Association president Manuja Veerappa graced the occasion and handed over awards to the winners. Over 50 film journalists and critics voted to select the 27 awards from around 235 Kannada films released this year. For the last four years, Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards has become the year's first awards in Sandalwood. 

Winners List Best Film

♦ Kantara - Best Director

♦ Kiranraj K (777 Charlie)

Best Screenplay

♦ Darling Krishna (Love Mocktail 2)

Best Dialogues

♦ Maasthi (Guru Sishyaru)

Best Lead Actor

♦ Rishab Shetty (Kantara)

Best Lead Actress

♦ Sharmiela Mandre (Gaalipata 2)

Best Supporting Actor

♦ Suchendra Prasad (Wheelchair Romeo)

Best Supporting Actress

♦ Sudharani (Thurthu Nirgamana)

Best Child Artist

♦ Sharvari (777 Charlie)

Best Music

♦ Ajaneesh Loknath (Kantara) Best BGM

♦ Anoop Seelin (Monsoon Raaga) Best Lyrics

♦ Shashank (Jagave Neenu Gelathiye - Love 360)

Best Singer Male

♦ Mohan V - (Song: Junjappa – Film: Vedha)

Best Singer Female

♦ Aishwarya Rangarajan, (Song: Meet Madana – Film Ek Love Ya)

Best Cinematography

♦ Bhuvan Gowda (KGF 2)

Best Editing

♦ Ujwal Kulkarni (KGF2)

Best Art Direction

♦ Shiva Kumar - Vikrant Rona

Best Choreography

♦ Mohan (Ek Love Ya - Meet Madona )

Best Stunt/Action

♦ Vikram Mor (Kantara)

Best VFX

♦ Udaya Ravi Hegde (Unified Media) – KGF Chapter 2

Best Actor (Debut) - Sanchari Vijay Award

♦ Pruthvi Shamanoor (Padavipoorva)

Best Actress (Debut)

♦ Yasha Shivakumar (Mansoon Raaga)

Best Director (Debut) - Shankar Nag Award

♦ Sridhar Shikaripura - Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage

Best Producer (Debut) - Puneeth Rajkumar Award

♦ Pawan Wadeyar (Dollu)

Best Writer (Debut) – Chi Udayshankar Award

♦ Sridhar Shikaripura (Dharani Mandala Madhyadolage)

Best YouTube Creator of the Year

♦ K S Parameshwara (Kala Madhyama)

Best Social Media Entertainer of the Year

♦ Vikas (Vicky Pedia)