Actor-director Samudrakani, who is busy with his next film Appa, which is now ready to hit screens, is full of gratitude when one congratulates him for having won a National Award.
Visaranai won three awards — Best Supporting Actor for Samudrakani, Best Editing for Kishore (late) and Best Regional Language film. The actor, played the role of a cop in director Vetrimaran’s Visaranai (2015), says he never expected a National Award while working on the film. “All this credit must go only to God and to my director Vetrimaran. I thank Vetri for this honour,” he declares to the CE without even a moment’s hesitation.
“Several people kept telling me that I would win a National Award for this film. But I never thought about it. To me, this comes as a very pleasant surprise,” the actor says. He plays a sincere cop who is intent on being true to his profession but is compelled to go along with corrupt officers in the system. Kani showcases the dilemma an honest cop in a corrupt system faces through his role in the film. Ask him what the most challenging part while enacting this role was and he says, “The entire role was a challenge. But we are people who love to work on these challenges.”
The director also remembers ace director K Balachander in his moment of glory. “Had he been there, he would have been very happy. He would always say that I would go places and that I would be recognised at the National level. His words have come true,” he says.
Award Honours Kishore’s Work: Vetrimaran
Director Vetrimaran, whose earlier films too have won National Awards, says he is very happy about the recognition that has been accorded to his film Visaranai.
Says Vetrimaran, whose phone hasn’t stopped ringing ever since the National Award winners were announced, “I am happy about the recognition, especially the Award for Kani (Samudrakani). It was a very tricky role to play and he did a great job. I consider the award to Kishore as an honour to his skill and a tribute to him. Considering that this was the last film that he worked on, it will mean a lot to his family.”
“I don’t make films to win awards. I make it for my audience. It is an honour to receive this award but what I am happiest about this is the fact that it was a commercially successful film. What makes me happy is the audience accepted this film the way we wanted them to,” he adds.
‘Three Times Happier for Visaranai’
Actor Dhanush, who is also the producer of Visaranai, said in a statement, “Sometimes, when we begin a project, we know that this film will reach a significant position. Visaranai is one such project. I am very happy for Samudrakani and editor Kishore. My happiness is three times more as the film has won three National Awards. It’s my duty to thank director Vetrimaran for having given me three National Awards. The fact that Tamil audiences have accepted this film gives me both happiness and the drive to deliver more such films,” the actor said.
1,000th Film Gets Maestro National Award
Music director Ilaiyaraaja on Monday won the National Award for the Best Background Score for his folk music in director Bala’s Thaarai Thappattai (2016). Though he has won the National Award several times before, the award for this film will be extra special for it is his 1,000th film. The jury, while announcing the award to Raaja, made the observation that they had chosen Raaja “for effectively using folk musical instruments and melodies, to give a harmonic layer of meaning to the world of the characters.”