T-town strikes it rich at national award

​Hyderabad: Close on the heels of Telugu films like ‘Pellichoopulu’ and ‘Sathamanam Bhavathi’ bagging national honours in 2017, SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus ‘Baahubali 2’ bagged three awards, while ‘Ghazi’ was adjudged Best Regional Film (Telugu) this year to keep the momentum going. 

Young Telugu filmmakers have raised the bar on Telugu cinema and grabbing the attention of national jury members with their noteworthy work. “No doubt, new directors are raising the bar on Telugu cinema and striking it rich at the national awards. 

Bagging national honours for consecutive years without a break, augurs well for Telugu cinema. If a young team was behind ‘Pellichoopulu’ last year, yet again another new director brought national honours for ‘Ghazi’ to prove that young directors are here to stay and rock,” says Raj Kandukurri, producer of ‘Pellichoopulu’.

Actually, ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ won the Best Special Effects and Best Action Direction besides the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. “No prizes for guessing about ‘Baahubali 2’ being adjudged the most popular entertainer, since it aptly fits the bill as Rajamouli’s sequel was the talk of the country in 2017. It is also known for its technical finesse,” adds Raj. 

Announcing Sridevi’s name for best actress award posthumously for her last film Mom, feature film jury head Shekhar Kapur said the actor was the most deserving candidate.

According to a jury member from Chennai, 20-odd Telugu films vied for national honours but Rana’s ‘Ghazi’ bagged the coveted award. “It is true that more than 20-odd popular Telugu films of 2017 were screened for the jury, but finally awards beckoned ‘Baahubali’ and ‘Ghazi’ which entertained and engaged audience in their own way” he concludes.