Pune: Marathi films lost out on all mainstream accolades in the 70th National Film Awards announced on Friday, where the southern film industry bagged the maximum honours. Only ‘ Varsa ,’ won the Best Arts/Cultural Film in the feature film segment. In the non-feature films category, the Best Biographical Film was won by ‘Aanakhi Ek Mohenjodaro,’ directed by Ashok Rane, whereas the Best Documentary award was won by ‘Murmurs of the Jungle,’ directed by Sohil Vaidya.
The Best Marathi Film in the regional category was won by ‘Vaalvi,’ directed by Paresh Mokashi. He was unavailable for comment. Vaidya’s short film, ‘Murmurs of the Jungle,’ received the award for Best Narration with Sumant Shinde winning the Best Voice-Over award.
The film talks about the Mahadev Koli tribal community residing in the dense forests of the Western Ghats. The roots, beliefs, and understandings of this tribal community are ancient. Stories of their ancestors have been passed down through generations, becoming legends.
Vaidya, originally from Pune, resides in California and is the grandson of the late social leader Bhai Vaidya. He said, “I explored the connection between the tribal people’s present life and their past. I became curious about their harmony with nature and what the forest means to them.
The ancient Indian philosophy regarding the observer and the observed plays an important role here.” The biographical ‘Aankhi Ek Mohenjodaro’ is a powerful documentary depic.