70th National Film Awards: Ponniyin Selvan 1 producer, Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman, Ravi Varman felicitated by the President of India!

PUBLISHED DATE : 08/Oct/2024

70th National Film Awards: Ponniyin Selvan 1 producer, Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman, Ravi Varman felicitated by the President of India!

The 70th National Film Awards ceremony took place at the Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on Tuesday (October 08, 2024). President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious awards to the winners of the best of Indian cinema for the year 2022. 

 

Ponniyin Selvan: I, the Tamil film based on the stories of Kalki Krishnamurthy took home four big awards. Ponniyin Selvan writer, director, producer Mani Ratnam and PS-I producer Subaskaran of Lyca Productions, received a Rajat Kamal medal each for Ponniyin Selvan's 'Best Tamil Film' win.


This award marked Mani Ratnam's seventh National Award win after Kannathil Muthamittal (2002 Best Tamil Film), Bombay (1995 - Best Film on National Integration), Roja (1992 - Best Film on National Integration), Anjali (1990 - Best Tamil Film), Geethanjali (1989 - Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment), and Mouna Ragam (1986 - Best Tamil Film).

Grammy, Oscar and BAFTA winning music composer AR Rahman also received his seventh National Award with Ponniyin Selvan. He took home the win for Best Background Score, which he had previously also won for the Hindi movie Mom (2017). The other five National Film Awards of AR Rahman's were for Best Music in the Tamil films Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Minsara Kanavu (1996), Roja (1992) and the Hindi film Lagaan (2001).

 

Cinematographer Ravi Varman and sound designer Anand Krishnamoorthi received shields for Ponniyin Selvan's Best Cinematography and Best Sound Design win. 

Post the awards ceremony, ace director Mani Ratnam told DD News, "It (the National Film Awards) comes from the government of India, and your'e receiving it (the award) from the hands of the President of India. It's something very special...Ponniyin Selvan is a huge classic novel, it's been loved by the Tamil for over 50, 60 years. So to take that and trying to bring it down into a film or two was a big challenge."

Yesteryear Tamil actress and BJP politician Khushboo who was present at the National Film Awards ceremony gave a standing ovation to Mani Ratnam, when the filmmaker received his award from President Murmu. This gesture became a tiny highlight of the event for the Tamil film audience, and the video of Khushbu Sundar doing the same is currently making its rounds on the internet. 

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