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Barely able to control his emotions, Onir whose film I Am was declared the Best Hindi Film at the 59th National Film Awards said, “It’s not just a personal triumph. It’s a victory on a much larger level for gay filmmakers and films who have been so far sidelined not just from the National awards but also the popular awards.” Onir sees the irony of his film on homosexuality getting a green signal from the government at a time when ...

MUMBAI: Barely able to control his emotions, gay film-maker Onir whose film ‘I Am’ was declared the Best Hindi Film at the 59th National Film Awards said, “It’s not just a personal triumph. It’s a victory on a much larger level for gay filmmakers and films who have been so far sidelined not just from the National awards but also the popular awards.” Onir sees the irony of his film on homosexuality getting a green signal from the government at ...

Ganesh Nallari, a Hyderabadi designer, whose life inspired the chapter ‘Abhimanyu’ in director Onir’s film I AM, is overjoyed that the movie won the National Award for Best Hindi film. “I’m absolutely thrilled. The movie was made for a cause and by recognizing it with a National Award it gives credence to not just the cause, but everything it stood for. I want to congratulate Onir, Sanjay and everyone associated with the film,” said the thrilled city-based designer. The chapter ...

We first chatted with Onir about I AM way back in 2009, the film was still in production with I Am Abhimanyu complete and I Am Omar getting ready to go to the floor and still two more films I Am Meghna and I Am Afia to be made. I AM explores stories not usually seen in Hindi films including sexual abuse, discrimination against homosexuals, artificial insemination and ethnic cleansing in Kashmir. About the film Onir told us, “When it ...

Arjun Mathur belongs to a rare breed of actors who prefer quality over quantity. His brief resume boasts of films like BARAH AANA, MY NAME IS KHAN, I AM and MY FRIEND PINTO. With Onir’s I AM winning the National Award, we decided to get the views of Arjun, who dared to be different and essayed a pivotal role in the film. ARJUN MATHUR A quite overwhelmed Arjun reminisces, “Well, I feel great today. I remember my first meeting with ...

As regional cinema ruled the 59th National film awards, surprised winners said that the honours came as a great encouragement. Director Umesh Kulkarni, whose Marathi film “Deool” shared the best film award with “Byari”, said he wanted to make movies without compromising on the content. He also expressed joy for lead star Girish Kulkarni who won best actor and best dialogue awards. “It is a great moment for us as we worked hard on the film for two years. It ...

After bagging all the popular ‘Best Actress’ awards for her performance as Silk in The Dirty Picture, Vidya Balan has now bagged the prestigious National Award for Best Actress for the same film. This is yet another feather in her cap after a hugely successful last few years in Bollywood. The Dirty Picture team has more reason to rejoice as Niharika Khan won the National Award for Best Costume for her work in the film. Onir and Sanjay Suri’s sensitively ...

New Delhi: The National Award for the Best Hindi Film has been given to the director Onir’s ‘I Am’. The film is about the problems faced by four individuals who are struggling to find their real identities.The film stars Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli, Abhimanyu Singh in the lead roles.The film also focuses on the complexities and conflicts one has to face due to the traditions and set pattern of moralities in the ...

It’s celebration time for Onir. He had never expected that “I Am” would bag the National Award for the Best Hindi Feature Film. “My mother is in tears. Overjoyed, they want to invite everyone to our Santoshpur residence,” says the director from Mumbai. Onir’s award comes as a recognition of the “dexterous weaving of four different stories across India which negotiate the complexities of people undergoing the trauma of being dispossessed and thereby disempowered”. What has made the award extra ...

Onir faced such tough times convincing Bollywood studios to finance his I Am that he resorted to crowd-funding to make it. But now with the best Hindi film honour at the 59th National Awards, the filmmaker is on top of the world. “I am overwhelmed. This award has given me a lot of strength. This was the most difficult film to make as studios were not ready to acquire the film. This is a film made by people and this ...

Based on true life incidents, ‘I Am’ challenges the common man to look at metropolitan India past its superficiality of modernity into the fractures of complexity and conflicts in tradition, morality, sexuality and community. Directed by Onir Produced by Onir & Sanjay Suri Anticlock Film Production Cast of Note: Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Suri, Rahul Bose, Manisha Koirala, Nandita Das, Purab Kohli, Abhimanyu Singh & Arjun Mathur. Finally a movie that truly reflects the times that we live in; a movie ...

2011 saw its fair share of anticipation and over-hype, as with every other year. However, it seems this was the year that the directors, in particular, got to deliver stories and characters which were far from the norm of typical Indian cinema. The audiences, in turn, were able to see a some hugely entertaining and ‘out of the box’ films in what could be branded as one of the most ground-breaking years yet. Although many of us are looking forward ...