Being on the national jury was honorable, says Raj Kandukuri
By : BVS Prakash
Update: 2024-10-14 06:23 GMT
Popular producer Raj Kandukuri was a jury member for the 70th National Film Awards and claims that it's a dedicated and responsible work. “I had interaction with filmmakers from Assam, Gujarat, Bollywood, and Malayalam and it was an enriching experience" he says. He happened to watch around 60-odd movies and used to spend 9-6 in theatres. “I had fruitful discussions with central Ministers Anurag Thakur and Ashwini Vaishnav who gave us a free hand,’ he tells Deccan Chronicle
Q: You were the only jury member from Telugu filmdom, how was the work?
A: It is true that I was the only Telugu filmmaker in the esteemed national jury. It was a responsible job and I had to keenly watch movies and note down the merits and demerits- of each film, and prepare a report. I had to watch 60-odd movies including Telugu and Kannada and select a bunch of movies that didn’t dent national pride or family values. We were given a free hand by Minister Anurag Thakur who hosted a dinner for jury members at his residence. We had to be at theatres at 9 am and complete our work by 6 pm, a kind of government job, yet enjoyable.
Q: You happened to meet legendary filmmakers from Bengal, Malayalam, and Bollywood as well?
A: It was truly an enriching experience since I had discussions with filmmakers from varied languages from Assamese to Bengali and Tamil to Malayalam and Bollywood. They were cherishable moments. Of course, we had limited time to chat during breakfast, otherwise, everyone had his work to do. Besides watching other languages movies, shows us the way novel stories are picked and movies made out of them. Quite an eye-opener for me. Most of the jury members were national award winners who proved their mettle in varied crafts in movie making.
Q; You bagged the national award for ‘Pelli Choopulu’ in 2017 and how was it being at the same place as a jury member?
A: I went on a nostalgic trip and remembered receiving the national award from the late Pranab Mukherjee and vividly remember those treasured moments. Now, as a jury member, I was watching President Draupadi Murmu giving away awards to the best talent in Indian cinema, and receiving national awards is a very special and honorable moment for every actor, technician, and others. After the President left the venue, jury members and guests had high tea and discussions with Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over dinner. I couldn't take up a jury offer twice before, but this time, I didn't want to miss it and it turned out to be a memorable 21-day journey.