A new controversy has struck the coveted 65th National Film Awards ceremony which is taking place today in New Delhi with many of the winners threatening to boycott the ceremony. National Film awardees have expressed dissent over news that President Ram Nath Kovind will felicitate only 11 award winners out of the total 137 awardees at the ceremony.

The awardees will be honoured in the presence of Information & Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Narendra Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Information & Broadcasting. The awardees came to know about this at the rehearsals held on Wednesday, and several of them began protesting against the “betrayal.” Due to shortage of time, the decision has been taken, which has disappointed many National Award winners who expected being felicitated by the President of India himself.

More than 60 awardees have decided to boycott the ceremony altogether in protest. The artistes from across the country have written a letter addressed to the Directorate of Film Festival, Office of the President of India and the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to express their disappointment. They said they were “disheartened” on being informed at the last minute that the President will present only 11 awards. 

(Pic: Disappointed Winners questioning the new decision of President during National Awards rehearsal)

“It feels like a breach of trust when an institution/ceremony that abides by extreme protocol fails to inform us of such a vital aspect of the ceremony with a prior notice. It seems unfortunate that 65 years of tradition are being overturned in a jiffy,” the letter read.

“In the circumstances of not receiving a response for our grievance we are left with no option but to be absent for the ceremony. We do not intend to boycott the award but are not attending the ceremony to convey our discontent and are awaiting a more just solution,” they said in the letter.

one of the reason the National Film Awards are prestigious is because they are handed by the @rashtrapatibhvn -not a minister. This is a moment of a lifetime for Film makers ; please don’t deprive them of their merit / glory #NationalFilmAwards @smritiirani @Ra_THORe

— rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) May 3, 2018

If the Govt.Of India cannot earmark three houres if it’s time, they should not bother us giving us #NationalAward. More than 50%of our sweat you take it as entertainment tax,the least you could do is respect the values we hold dear!

— resul pookutty (@resulp) May 3, 2018

The Indian Film Industry should come out in open and take a stand against the humilation of National Film Awardees who are going to skip the award ceremony today. Dark day in the history of #NationalFilmAwards

— ashwini chaudhary (@DhoopAshwini) May 3, 2018