Page 32 - TIE 082021

Entertainment EYE AUGUST 20, 2021 | The Indian Eye 32

awards for diversity: ‘the family man’ scores big at

indian film festival of melbourne

Manoj Vajpayee, Vidya Balan, Samantha Akkineni and Pankaj Tripathi among the winners

Our Bureau presenters. Also present were thought.” and the award goes to...

Mumbai/Melbourne jury members including Richa Suriya, on his part thanked
Chadha, Guneet Monga, Onir, his fans and Soorarai Pottru di-
aj Nidimoru and Krish- Australian filmmaker Geoffrey rector Sudha Kongara, saying, • Best Feature Film:
Soorarai Pottru
na DK’s ‘The Family Wright and Oscar-nominated “I’m sure all the nominees have
RMan’ made it big at the editor Jill Bilcock. given their best. This film is • Best Performance Male
latest edition of the Indian Film IFFM honored Pankaj Tripa- very special, and this is the first (Feature): Suriya Sivakumar
Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) thi with the Diversity in Cinema award I’m getting for this film. (Soorarai Pottru)
as the stars Manoj Bajpayee Award presented by LaTrobe Thanks to all the fans who have • Best Performance Female
and Samantha Akkineni bagged University. Tamil film Soorarai given us so much love. In my ca- (Feature): Vidya Balan
the Best Actors award for their Pottru walked away with the reer, I felt bored with what I was (Sherni) & Honourable
commendable performances in Best Feature Film and Suriya doing after having worked for mention to Nimisha Sajayan
the second season of the popu- won the Best Actor award for 20 years. So thanks to my direc- (The Great Indian Kitchen)
lar web show. the same project. Vidya Balan tor Sudha — this film was her 10
On Friday, the organisers of won the Best Actress for Sher- years dream — she worked four • Best Director: Anurag Basu
IFFM conducted a virtual cere- ni, while Mirzapur was given the years on writing or his film. The (Ludo) & Honorary Mention
mony, wherein several winners Best Series Award. Filmmaker character of Maara will not be Prithvi Konanur (Pinki Elli?)
were announced. Manoj won Anurag Basu picked up the Best anything without her. I couldn’t • Best Series:
the award for Best Actor (Male) Director trophy for the feature ask for more.” Mirzapur Season 2
in Series while Samantha was film Ludo. Manoj Bajpayee and Vidya Balan said she was
honoured with Best Actor (Fe- Samantha Akkineni won awards thrilled to be receiving the • Best Actress in a Series:
Samantha Akkineni (The
male) in Series award. Manoj for their roles in season two of award for Sherni, which was shot Family Man 2)
was extremely happy on receiv- Family Man as well. Malayalam during the pandemic, “Thanks
ing the honour at IFFM. “Thank film The Great Indian Kitchen to my director Amit Masurkar • Best Actor in a Series: Manoj
you to the jury members. Thank was also recognised. and my producer Abundantia, Bajpayee (The Family Man 2)
you to the whole team of ‘The Speaking about the win- who pulled out all the stops to • Equality in Cinema (Short
Family Man’ for playing an in- ners, the festival’s director make this film during these un- Film): Sheer Qorma
strumental role in making this Mitu Bhowmick Lange, says, certain times.”
show happen,” he said during “We congratulate all the win- On winning the Diversity in • Equality in Cinema Award
his acceptance speech at the vir- ners and their teams for mak- Cinema Award, Pankaj Tripathi (Feature Film): The Great
tual ceremony of IFFM. ing great films that were loved said, “This award is special for Indian Kitchen
Actors Vidya Balan and by the audiences across the me, I’m humbled and it’s really • Best Indie Film: Fire in the
Surya have also won Best Actor globe. It is about time that we inspiring for me, my craft. The Mountains
in Feature awards for their films have conversations in cine- man who is here to give me this
‘Sherni’ and ‘Soorarai Pottru’ ma and about cinema that are award, he is the one who dis- • Diversity in Cinema Award:
respectively. not mainstream and biased. It covered my talent. So, thanks to Pankaj Tripathi
Personalities from the Indi- is time to present the diverse Anurag Kashyap sir. He is the • Disruptor Award: Sanal
an film fraternity like Anurag sensibilities through narratives one who rediscovered my tal- Kumar Sasidharan
Kashyap, Shoojit Sircar, Thiag- that are ground-breaking and ent. I’m grateful to all my direc-
arajan Kumararaja, Sriram all the winners of the IFFM tors, writers for having me part • Best Documentary Film: Shut
Raghavan were amongst the awards symbolize this fervour of of their projects.” Up Sona

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