CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday invalidated the selection of awardees for the 31st State Film Awards - 2019 and stayed the presentation ceremony till its final decision on a petition challenging the selection list. The awards ceremony was scheduled on Tuesday.
The single judge bench of Justice Arindam Sinha directed the State government to evaluate afresh all the entries received for the honour. The department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture which confers the State Film Awards had published the final selection list on November 5, 2021.
Justice Sinha said, "The ceremony scheduled to be held tomorrow will stand postponed. State, through its concerned functionary, will re-evaluate all entries for awards. On such re-evaluation, result will be made known to petitioner and all concerned."
"In event, petitioner reports to this Court that his grievance has been taken care of or there is required adjudication, the ceremony will be held post order of disposal of the writ petition," he stated, while fixing January 7 as next date for hearing on the matter.
Director of the film 'Chabirani' Bobby Islam had filed the petition alleging violation of the Odisha State Awards for Films Rules, 2010 in the selection process. Islam alleged that the two selected films 'Khusi' and 'Golmal Love' are not original films, and hence, not eligible to find place in the selection list.
'Khusi' won the awards in best actor, best actress, best editor and best child artiste categories although it is a remake of a Korean film 'Hope'. He claimed that 'Golmal Love', which won in the category of best comedy, was a copy of Punjabi movie 'Carry on Jatta'.
"Though 'Chabirani' with all its originality and depiction of Odia tradition and culture fulfilled the conditions in different categories, it was not selected for the awards," he alleged.
In its memo, the State government had replied that the applicants for entry of films 'Khusi' and 'Golmal Love' to 31st Odisha State Film Awards had clearly mentioned in the entry forms that the two films are not dubbed versions or an adaptation or remake of films made in other languages.
The State government further said that the kind of violence, rape, murder and political mafia shown in the film 'Chabirani', are in no way part of Odia tradition and culture. "Also, the second half of the film was a blatant copy of a superhit Hindi movie of the 90s, named 'Andha Kanoon' and has made a mockery of the judicial system by portraying unethical practices. The grisly rape and murder were shown in a manner, unfit for family viewing," the government said.