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 depicting the story of Girangaon — a civilisation that flourished around the cotton mills in Mumbai around the 1850s, known as ‘the Abode of Mills’. The film reflects Girangaon from being an offspring of the industrial revolution that rejoiced in the unique sense of unity and vibrant society that was culturally rich, socially flexible, and politically aware, and played vital roles in many political movements, to its devastation starting in the 1980s with mill workers’ strike after which it ceased to exist.
Rane said he was happy to receive the award especially because he related to it personally, having experienced the revolution for many years. “I have tried to recreate the good old Mumbai from the 1850s and showcased instances where people started coming to Mumbai to join the mills, made their lives, created a cultural environment, and thus became another Mohenjodaro,” he said. We also published the following articles recently 'KGF 2' bags the Best Feature Film (Kannada) and Best Action Direction at the National Film Award 2023 The 70th National Film Awards announced on August 16 honored 'KGF Chapter 2' as the Best Kannada Film and Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography).
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Swwapnil expressed his joy and gratitude for being part of the award-winning project. The film portrays a crime mishap involving a dysfunctional couple, a dentist, and a psychiatrist. A sequel, 'Vaalvi 2', has been announced recently.
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