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An award for this unique award function

This has been a season of awards. And thanks to my short film Plusminus and my feature film Blackmail, I was nominated mostly everywhere.

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Divya Dutta

This has been a season of awards. And thanks to my short film Plusminus and my feature film Blackmail, I was nominated mostly everywhere. Awards are fun as it’s about people from the fraternity coming together, acknowledging and celebrating each other’s work. You meet practically everyone who’s made or been a part of a good film of that year.

I went to a new award ceremony by a popular news channel. It was film awards for films made in a certain budget. And this year has been the year of small films. So, I was there celebrating the best of cinema with my co-nominees. 

To my surprise, the function started on time. It was in a huge hall of a 5-star hotel. I could see so many familiar faces—awesome actors, directors, technicians who had made different cinema. Everyone was cheering for whoever got an award. The jury had very fairly chosen the winners so no one was feeling any insecurity of bias at all. Whoever entered the hall, found themselves a seat wherever available. Unlike the normal star-studded affair where an entourage of a star reached first to find out when the star should arrive and make sure that the front seats are blocked. It’s amusing to see how as stars keep arriving, the front rows keep growing and the number of chairs keep increasing. This event was different. They knew well in advance if some award winner was unable to come. I was requested to pick an award on behalf of Gulzar saab. It was an honour that they thought in the audience I was the one who should have picked it up for him.

There were no dance performances. Just a funny banter with the host Cyrus Broacha. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. All the nominees sat together cheering each other up and the winner. It seemed like one happy family. Like it should be. It wrapped in an hour with everyone wanting it to go on as it was so much fun. The loud cheer wouldn’t stop. There were happy smiling faces congratulating the winners when they left. When did I last see that?

Along the years the star system has taken over the awards. Where will you ever see all nominees sitting together cheering for one another? They all come and go at a time allotted for their stage appearance. All smiles around but I do wonder how much warmth!

Interestingly I am a part of both these worlds. The real and the glamourous. I am invited to both. I fit in, yes. I enjoy them too, yes. But I do wish a little warmth and genuineness of celebration comes back to our major awards too so they just don’t become the television programmes with the highest TRPs or the biggest red carpets with the best in Bollywood walking them but also do what they are meant to do—equal and fair treatment to all. Celebrating all kinds of films, actors, stories and yes, above all—each other!

Talking of nominations, it’s time to vote my dear ones. So, please vote. It is your right and your duty to choose the right candidate. See their credentials, see their backgrounds, see if they are capable, and then vote. Don’t stay in your house thinking you want to stay away from all this. Your vote counts and it matters. Be the responsible citizen of your country and take the onus of choosing your leader on yourself. In this field too, let the award go to someone who truly deserves.

(Dutta is a Bollywood actress)

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