KASARGOD: Bijukumar Damodaran, popularly known as Dr Biju, won the second National Award for Best Film on Environment for ‘Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal’, a movie on endosulfan victims.
“I am happy that this award became another reason to delibrate on the endosulfan tragedy at the national level,” Dr Biju, who is also the Kasargod district homoeopathy medical officer, said on the recognition to his film.
The film, a docu-fiction, has Kunchacko Boban, Nedumudi Venu and Siraj Venjaramoodu in the lead roles and was shot in several places in Belur, an affected panchayat, Kasargod town and in Ottawa over a period of one-and-half years.
The film, however, did not make any impression in the state circles and was criticised for the format.
The director said the criticism was because the Malayali viewer was not exposed to the genre of docu-fiction. Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s films and several Oscar winners were docu-fictions, he said. “Moreover, my films are not really appreciated or acknowledged by the state juries,” he said. In 2013, Dr Biju got the same award for his ‘Perariyathavar’ which tells the story of two sweepers and their problems.
The film features Indrans and Suraj Venjaramoodu. Suraj received the national award for best actor for his performance in the film. In 2010, his ‘Veettilekkulla Vazhi’ - starring Prithiviraj and Indrajit - won the national award for the best film in Malayalam.
Dr Biju said he wanted to help build a rehabilitation village for endosulfan victims. To start with, a daycare centre, Sneha Veedu, has been started at Ambalathara.
The project is an initiative of the ‘Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal’ producer A K Pillai.