The 70th National Film Awards were announced on Friday, honoring the best of Indian cinema from 2022. This year, the Kannada film industry saw immense recognition after winning seven awards across categories such as Best Actor, Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment etc. Ranga Vaibhoga (2022), a documentary on the tradition of temple dance in Karnataka, bagged the award for the Best Arts/Culture Film this year.
Director Suneel Puranik is elated to have received the honor. He tells us, “I never expected this win. It’s a great honor for me.
No one has ever done a film on this tradition. It’s really sad because if there is no recognition for the art form then in the next 10 to 15 years, there will be no temple dance performers. I believe it is our duty to safeguard our culture and I’ve done my bit through this documentary.
The film doesn’t fit in any category except for Arts/Culture Film and I was somehow confident enough to submit it for consideration. By God’s grace, it’s a great pleasure that I achieved this win. I dedicate this award to dance.
” Puranik, an industry veteran known for directing and acting in both TV and films, talks about how he came across the topic for this film. “I’ve been in the industry for 37 years now. I’ve worked with top directors of the Kannada film industry.
I started off as an assistant director at first and then moved on to acting and then even directed around 20 daily soaps for TV. I’ve always been a nationali.