Malayalam film sweeps all IFFK awards

December 12, 2015

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 12: Renowned Malayalam director R Jayaraj’s 'Ottal' (The Trap) swept all the top awards, including the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) at the 20th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which concluded here today.

ottalState Governor Justice (Rtd) P Sathasivam gave away the coveted Suvarna Chakoram, the Best Film of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) jury, the Best Malayalam film of the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) jury and the Audience Poll awards to Jayaraj.

The Suvarna Chakoram consists of Rs 15 lakh cash award, a certificate and a memento.
The citation stated that "Ottal," already a winner of national and state film awards, took the top prize for "its strong cinematic language, interweaving local and planetary concerns, humankind’s relationship to nature and nurture and child human right—all grounded in a deep honest connection to culture and place."

The Rajatha Chakoram for Best Director was awarded to Jun Robles Lana for the Filipino film ‘Shadow Behind the Moon.’ The Rajatha Chakoram for Best Debut Director went to Bangladeshi director Abu Shahed Emon for "Jalal’s Story."

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s small-budget film, An Off-Day Game, took the FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam Film. Israeli film Yona won the NETPAC Best Asian film award.

"It is often felt that Kerala is not only God’s Own Country but the favourite foster land of a variety of arts, so it is little wonder that it has produced notable names in filmmaking," Sathasivam said giving away the awards.

"The film festival provides an opportunity for film lovers to see films from around the world and thereby get a feel for lifestyles around the world," he said.

Besides the Governor, the closing ceremony was attended by leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan, Minister for Cinema Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, and Secretary (Cultural Affairs) Rani George.

"We have to make a better effort to market Malayalam films internationally," Achuthanandan said adding the government should also implement the recommendations of the Adoor Gopalakrishnan Committee report.

Legendary Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui, whose film package was shown in the festival’s Retrospective segment, was honoured with IFFK’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a memento and a citation.

Mehrjui presented the Film Employees Federation of Kerala’s (FEFKA) inaugural ‘Master’s award’ to avant garde Malayalam filmmaker K G George.

The Iranian director also presented the prize to the signature film winner Shri Shameer Babu. Tagore theatre, which was introduced this year as the festival’s main hub, won best theatre for its aesthetic quality, while New Theatre Screen 1 won for best technical quality.

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Agencies
February 5,2020

Chennai, Feb 5: Income Tax sleuths on Wednesday raided top Tamil film actor Vijay's residence here besides conducting simultaneous searches at several premises linked to a film production house, movie financier and distributors in connection with suspected tax evasion.

The searches, which began in as many as 38 locations in Tamil Nadu, were still on and unaccounted cash of about Rs 25 crore was seized from the premises of a Tamil film financier who had faced allegations of intimidation and arm-twisting to recover money, official sources told PTI.

Also, several documents indicating substantial tax evasion has been seized, sources added.

Vijay, who was away in Cuddalore district for a film shoot, was apprised by authorities about the searches and he was en route to his residence here, they said.

So far nothing has been recovered from the actor's house and the inmates were cooperating with authorities in conducting the searches, sources said.

Raids were also on in the premises of the production house that had made Vijay's hugely successful recent Tamil movie 'Bigil.'

Further details are expected after completion of searches which is likely to continue tomorrow.

The State police has been providing security for carrying out the searches.

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News Network
May 12,2020

Mumbai, May 12: Superstar Salman Khan on Tuesday released his latest romantic single "Tere Bina" featuring Jacqueline Fernandez while in quarantine at his Panvel farm house.

The actor, along with close family and friends from the industry, including Iulia Vantur, Waluscha De Sousa, is living in the farm house. This is the second song Salman has released amid the coronavirus pandemic, after "Pyaar Karona."

"About seven weeks ago, when we came to the farm, we didn't know we will be here under a lockdown. So we wanted to do things to keep ourselves busy. That's when we decided to do these songs. We launched 'Pyaar Karona' and now, we are launching 'Tere Bina'," Salman said in a statement.

The song, sung and directed by Salman, is composed by his friend Ajay Bhatia and written by Shab bir Ahmed.

The actor said he had the song "Tere Bina" with him for quite a while but because it wasn't fitting into any of his film, he decided to release it now.

Jacqueline said she didn't think they would be able to shoot the song, which they finished in four days of evening shoots, with such limitations.

"We are used to shooting songs on a large stage with grand production costs. There are costumes, hair, make up. All of a sudden, we find ourselves with a team of three people. For the first time, I was checking lighting and moving props around. It was a great experience and it taught us how to make the most of what we have," she said.

Salman recently sent out food packets and ration from his farm house to those affected by the lockdown.

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News Network
January 13,2020

Mumbai, Jan 13: On the ongoing protests against new Citizenship Law, Bollywood actor Zeeshan Ayub said that everyone has been exposed and the common man has understood everything and the right-wing people cannot make a fool out of them by giving vague statements.

Talking to ANI, Zeeshan said, "Law is supposed to give the citizenship but the way in which the criteria have been changed is the trouble here."

Disagreeing to the continuous statements put forward by the BJP government that CAA is not a hindrance to the citizenship, the actor further said, Things are clear now, people have now understood the facts, the people and the intention behind are now exposed,.. they can't make a fool out of common people any more."

Zeeshan said it actually the other way round, those people are the ones who are misleading the general public by fluctuating their own statements. "Home minister said something, the next day something else is being said in the Ram leela..people are getting confused., the 'Ranjahanna' actor added.

He further said, "Earlier it was Hindu-Muslim propaganda, but that didn't work, so now you are making it a case between two political parties.. basically you are changing your own statements." When asked about his take on the ongoing JNU Violence, the actor said the members of the alleged political party itself have come out and explained their part in the case and yet no action has been taken.

The actor finally said that people should develop a sense of humanity.

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