THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The timing couldn’t have been better. A day after a 64-year-old tribal woman crossed the seemingly unassailable road from Rairangpur in Odisha to Raisina Hill in New Delhi and became president-elect, Nanchamma, a folk singer from a humble tribal hamlet of Attappadi, won the 68th National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer on Friday.
The 62-year-old – who had the whole state singing with her raw yet moving Kalakkatha rendition of ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’ directed by the late Sachy – now shares the list with elites like Lata Mangeshkar, KS Chitra and S Janaki.
Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said he was delighted with the award for Nanchamma. “Usually folksong doesn’t make it to mainstream cinema. It’s a rare feat indeed,” he said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated the winners. “Malayalam cinema has once again proven itself by winning many prestigious awards including Best Director and Best Actress. I hope this inspires them to conquer new and greater heights,” Pinarayi tweeted.
This year, Mollywood bagged 14 honors.
While ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’ won four – Best Director (Sachy), Supporting Actor (Biju Menon), Playback Singer (Nanchamma) and Stunt Choreography – ‘Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam’, a low-budget film by Senna Hegde which came out on OTT and took audiences by storm, was voted Best Malayalam Film.
READ ALSO | 68th National Film Awards: Full List of Winners
Hegde said, “I am very happy and extremely grateful for the tremendous reception we have received from the public and now at the national level,” he told TNIE.
Out of Malayalam films winning quite a few awards, Hegde felt it was time. The state also had its share of glory in two other top categories.
While Aparna Balamurali won the best actress award for the Tamil film “Soorarai Pottru”, the best screenplay for the same film was shared by Sudha Kongara and Shalini Usha Nair, a Malayali.
Biju Menon, who played a tough cop in “Ayyappanum Koshiyum,” dedicated the award to Sachy.
Aparna told TNIE that her character “Bommi” starring Suriya inspired her to portray more meaningful characters and explore the nuances of acting in greater depth.
READ HERE | National Film Awards: Nanjiyamma, tribal folk singer from Kerala, delighted with her victory
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The timing couldn’t have been better. A day after a 64-year-old tribal woman crossed the seemingly unassailable road from Rairangpur in Odisha to Raisina Hill in New Delhi and became president-elect, Nanchamma, a folk singer from a humble tribal hamlet of Attappadi, won the 68th National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer on Friday. The 62-year-old – who had the whole state singing with her raw yet moving Kalakkatha rendition of ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’ directed by the late Sachy – now shares the list with elites like Lata Mangeshkar, KS Chitra and S Janaki. Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said he was delighted with the award for Nanchamma. “Usually folksong does not make it to mainstream cinema. It is a rare feat indeed,” he said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated the winners. “Malayalam cinema has once moreover proven themselves by winning many prestigious awards including Best Director and Best Actress. Hope this inspires them to conquer new and greater heights,” Pinarayi tweeted. This year, Mollywood pocketed 14 honors. While ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’ won four – Best Director (Sachy), Supporting Actor (Biju Menon), Playback Singer (Nanchamma) and Stunt Choreography – ‘Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam’, a low-budget film by Senna Hegde which came out on OTT and took audiences by storm, was voted Best Malayalam Film ALSO READ | 68th National Film Awards: Full List of Winners Hegde said, “I am very happy and extremely grateful for the wonderful welcome that e we received from the public and now at the national level, ”he told TNIE. Out of Malayalam films winning quite a few awards, Hegde felt it was time. The state also had its share of glory in two other top categories. While Aparna Balamurali won the best actress award for the Tamil film “Soorarai Pottru”, the best screenplay for the same film was shared by Sudha Kongara and Shalini Usha Nair, a Malayali. Biju Menon, who played a tough cop in “Ayyappanum Koshiyum,” dedicated the award to Sachy. Aparna told TNIE that her character “Bommi” starring Suriya inspired her to portray more meaningful characters and explore the nuances of acting in greater depth. READ HERE | National Film Awards: Nanjiyamma, tribal folk singer from Kerala, delighted with her victory
