Gollapudi award goes to Prem Kumar for 96

The Gollapudi Srinivas national award for the best debut film goes to C. Prem Kumar for the film 96. The film was selected from among 10 nominations in various languages from all over the country.

This is only the second Tamil film winning the prestigious award, the previous one having gone to Ms Janaki Vishwanathan for her debut Tamil film Kutty in 2001. The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 1.50 lakh  and a memento to be presented at a ceremony to be held on August 12. The movie 96 is about school mates who meet at a reunion that rekindles memories.

Cinematographer-turned-filmmaker C. Prem Kumar is known primarily for his work in Tamil cinema where he has helmed the camera department in a number of acclaimed movies like Pasanga(2009), Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom(2012) and Sundarapandian (2012). C. Prem Kumar made his directorial debut last year with 96, which he also wrote and in which Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha starred in lead roles.

The Gollapudi award was established in 1998 in hour of young director Gollapudi Srinivas who passed away in an accident during the shoot of his maiden venture in 1992.