We get what we deserve

Tollywood need not be worried for be ignored during Padma Awards. When the industry is in the hands of a few families and a hit is described only in terms of collections, the question of talent does not arise. Yes, there are a few highly talented old timers but who cares? Someone has to take up the case. The farce of domestic yearly awards is a well known affair. Each of the biggies should get an award at least that is the way how it works out.

Movie Artistes Association (MAA) suddenly woke up from its slumber on membership issue and we have seen its knee jerk reaction when it asked a heroine to complete a film and adjust dates only because the one who complained is associated with the biggies.

Otherwise, it is known for its stoic silence.

Still there is no justification as to why Bala Ramayanam was given best picture award when Little Soldiers won the hearts of people and songs were a hit. Junior NTR acted as Rama and film has come from the big family, while Little Soldiers has no big names tagged to it.

The way smaller films were ejected during Sankranti, only to accommodate two films of the biggies is nauseating. They want to lick away all the collections and blow their trumpet of record collections. Two other films which were supposed to be released for the festival are still struggling for dates and theatres.

Post production work is something which can be done in a few days and can be dragged on to weeks and months together. There are other films like Inkennallu which is not getting theatres at all as majority of the screens are controlled by the biggies or their loyalists.

What type of directors and artistes do we have? One director says there is nothing wrong in being a copycat and confesses that he is one. Another director relies only on larger-than-life image of hero and uses all others as fillers. Shouting, melodrama, irrelevant and unconvincing scenes, lampooning and demeaning situations in the name of comedy, songs having little or no meaning, grammar or flow and music garnished with one brick from here one log from there.

During Akkineni Nageswara Rao time, there were few contenders so let us not discuss that issue though there was a real injustice when B Saroja Devi was considered over Bhanumathi for the Padma award. No one spoke up then. Krishna, Chiranjeevi, Mohan Babu and some others have political affiliations, so does Murali Mohan and Balakrishna.

In Bolywood, at least Saif Ali Khan, the youngest to get the honour, spoke his mind out saying that”I feel undeserving on being awarded Padma Sri Award.” Aamir Khan also joined the youngsters club. Bachchan family has five awardees. Great Grand Pa Harvansh Rai Bachchan was the first to receive, followed by Amitabh Bachchan Padma Sri and Padma Bushan, Jaya Bachcchan and Aiswaray completing the lineup.   

Tollywood should know its limitations and strengths. Our concern is only collections. As long as we get them, we need not bother about other things. There cannot a reservation or quota system for Padma Awards on regional or on other parameters.

Bapu is an artist; somehow he strayed into film land. He deserves an award but did MAA or anyone else write to the concerned authorities about his talent, at least after Sri Rama Rajyam?

There was no theatre available for a small budget film like Shankarabharanam. That did not stop the film from becoming a legend and winning handful of national awards.

We get what we deserve.