'Byari' director receives top award at the National Film Awards

May 4, 2012

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New Delhi, May 4: It was a proud moment for the Mangalore-based film producer Altaf Hussain, who received the Best Feature Film award for his debut production 'Byari' at 59th National Film Awards in New Delhi.

The young producer, who has also doubled up as the lead male character of the movie, received the honours from Vice President Hamid Ansari on Thursday at the awards, which saw regional cinema lord over Bollywood.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, too was present at the occasion. Traditionally, the awards are given out by the President. But Pratibha Patil, whose term is about to end in July, is currently on vacation so Ansari filled in her boots at the Vigyan Bhawan.

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award, highest honour in Indian cinema at the event.

Acclaimed filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli picked his 12th National Film Award at the event for Kurmavatara, adjudged the best Kannada film.

Top honours, including best feature film, best direction and best actor titles, were bagged by regional talents, while Bollywood's bold and beautiful Vidya Balan kept the Hindi film industry in the reckoning by receiving the best actress trophy for The Dirty Picture.

Vidya came on the dais in a rose pink-coloured sari with her hair neatly tied in a bun to receive the award.

The ceremony, hosted by actors Vinay Pathak and Saumya Tandon, witnessed performances by Anand Bhate, who won the best playback singer (male) title for "Balgandharva", and Roopa Ganguly, who won the same award in the female category for the Bengali film "Abosheyshey".

Bollywood composer Amit Trivedi and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya also took to the stage to perform Agar Zindagi, for which the latter won the best lyricist trophy. The song is from the movie I Am.

The best feature film award was shared by Marathi film Deool and Kannada movie Byari, while the best direction award went to Gurvinder Singh for his Punjabi film Anhe Ghorey Da Daan, which also won the best cinematography title.

Marathi actor Girish Kulkarni came to accept his best actor trophy for his role as a good-hearted simpleton in Deool.

The best supporting actor and actress awards were given to Appu Kutty for Tamil film Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai and Leishangthem Tonthoingambi Devi for Manipuri film Phijigee Mani, respectively.

In the music category, composer Neel Dutt won the best songs award for Bengali rock musical Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbo Na. Mayookh Bhaumik bagged the background score honour for Bengali film Laptop.

Hindi films, though few in the awardees list, made their prominence felt through the presence of its actors and filmmakers at the event. The team of I AM Onir and Sanjay Suri came to collect the award for the film. I AM was named the best Hindi film of the year.

Chillar Party was adjudged the best children's film, and it also received the honour for best original screenplay writer. The 10 child artistes from Chillar Party added innocence and enthusiasm to the event and displayed respect for Ansari as most of them touched his feet before accepting the honour.

Amitabh Bhattacharya won best lyrics for Agar zindagi from I AM, RA.One bagged the award for best special effects and the best choreography was given to Bosco-Caeser for "Senorita" from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

The best costume designer award was shared by Niharika Khan for The Dirty Picture and Neeta Lulla for Marathi film Balgandharva. Another shared award was for the best child artist. It was received jointly by Partho Gupte for Stanley Ka Dabba and by the gang of 10 kids for Chillar Party.

Vikram Gaekwad won the best make-up artist for his work in The Dirty Picture as well as in Bal Gandharva.

All three awards in the best audiography category were picked by Hindi films. The best location sound recordist title went to Beylon Fonseca for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Game was given the honours in the sound designer and re-recordist of the final mixed track categories.

Kumararaja Thiagarajan won the Indira Gandhi Award for best debut film of a director for Aaranyakandam, while the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment went to Tamil film Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai.

Speaking to Coastaldigest.com Altaf expressed his joy over the achievement. "It's really a great honour and I feel immensely happy. But unfortunately, the Byari film winning the national award for best feature film appearst to be no news for Kannada newspapers. While the achievement is being celebrated in a big way in Malayalam circles, the reaction of the Kannada press is rather lacklustre," he said.

"Malayalam papers have carried the pictures of director Suveeran and actress Mallika, who got the jury's special mention, receiving the awards. But not even a single Kannada paper has carried the picture," he said.

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'Lockdown has improved air quality of Bengaluru'

News Network

April 5,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 5: The COVID-19 related lockdown has substantially improved the air quality of Bengaluru, taking it from satisfactory level to good, a senior state pollution control board offcial said here on Sunday.

"During the course of the lockdown 19 problem, we reached good position from satisfactory.

It is between zero to 50 AQI (Air Quality Index) now. We have good quality air," the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board member secretary Basavaraj Patil told PTI.

He said the indicator for knowing the air quality in

"If the AQI is zero to 50 then it is good. If it is 50 to 100 then it is satisfactory. 101 to 150 is moderate and if it is 151 to 200, then it is poor, he explained.

Patil said as per available recrods, there has been a 60 to 65 per cent reduction in pollution during the lockdown.

The city railway station and Peenya industrial area, which used to be among the areas with highest AQI, has seen pollution levels come down significantly, he said.

Another major contributor of pollution was construction activities, which too had ground to a halt due to the lockdown, resulting in zero dust emission.

Patil opined that the improved air quality would boost the immune system of the people.

"It will improve the immune system of people, including those who have breathing problems like asthma," he said.

He asked the public to learn lessons from the lockdown and later switch to sustainable means of transport such as public transport, walking and cycling,.

"We can still reduce the pollution load even after the lockdown is over," Patil said.

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Now devotees in Karnataka can meet their 'gods' online as govt mulls live streaming of pujas, sevas

News Network

May 21,2020

Bengaluru, May 21: With temples yet to open for devotees as coronavirus restrictions are in place, the Karnataka government is preparing for live streaming of sevas (service) and poojas offered to deities at temples that comes under the state's Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department.

The government has also decided to develop an app and web-based software with an intention to provide information to devotees regarding temples, also to facilitate online donations and advance booking for various sevas offered there.

Regarding online live streaming, Commissioner of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department has written to the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and Executive Officers seeking a list of temples that comes under their jurisdiction where such facility can be provided.

"It has been intended to do online live streaming of sevas and pooja rituals at temples that come under the department in the backdrop of COVID-19 crisis. In this regard it is requested to provide a list of temples where online live facility can be provided to devotees, by abiding the traditions and practices of the temple," the letter said.

Though the temples are holding daily poojas and rituals, they are not open to public for now, with COVID-19 induced lockdown restrictions in place.

Officials had recently had stated that the department was planning to have a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place, that needs to be followed at temples in a post lockdown scenario, once they are opened for the public.

There are over 34,000 temples in the state that come under the department.

Meanwhile, in another letter to DCs of 15 districts, also Executive officers and administrators of 'A' grade temples, aimed at development of app and web-based software, the Commissioner has sought information regarding sevas offered at temples in their jurisdictions and those sevas for which option can be provided for devotees to do advance booking.

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Karnataka records 122 new Covid-19 cases in 19 hours; total 2,405

coastaldigest.com news network

May 27,2020

Bengaluru, May 27: A 69-year-old woman from Yadgiri became the 45th COVID-19 related fatality in Karnataka, where 122 fresh cases have been reported, taking the total number of infections in the state to 2,405, the health department said on Wednesday.

With 45 deaths and 762 discharges, there are 1,596 active coronavirus cases in the state, the department said in its mid-day bulletin. It said, the deceased woman, a returnee from Maharashtra was brought dead to designated hospital in Yadgiri on May 20 and tested positive for COVID-19.

Fourteen patients have been discharged in the state so far on Wednesday. Of the 122 new cases, 108 are returnees from neighboring Maharashtra, three from Tamil Nadu, and one each from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Delhi. While two are returnees from foreign countries- one each from UAE and Nepal.

Remaining four cases are contact of patients earlier tested positive.

Among the districts where new cases were reported, Kalaburagi accounted for 28, Yadgiri 16, Hassan 15, Bidar 13, Dakshina Kannada 11, Udupi 9, Bengaluru Urban 6, five each from Uttara Kannada and Raichur, Belagavi 4, Chikkamagaluru 3, two each from Bengaluru Rural and Vijayapura, and one each from Ballari, Mandya and Tumakuru.