Hindi Film Industry awards are dime a dozen. From December to March every year, there is at least one film award ceremony being telecast on TV every week. They are more of TV events and are less interested in really rewarding and recognizing merit. One can dissect several aspects related to them like their selection process, jury, actual event design, number of awards, categories of awards etc. But there are few things I really find funny.
My son is over two years old and has started going to a playgroup school. Recently he got a participation award in running and sorting. I never knew this category of sport existed. And he got an award for just showing up. Our film stars are like these two year old kids. If they show up at an award ceremony, the inadvertently win one. After all no one likes to go back home empty handed. Also because these award events are designed for TV telecast, the awards are interspersed with lot of garish performances. These performances are in fact shot much before actual awards with no audience. On the editing table, they very cleverly mix shots from the actual award ceremony and these pre-recorded performances. I am not exaggerating, but I once saw an actor dancing on the stage in a costume and simultaneously sitting in a tuxedo, applauding his own performance from the audience area. The editor must have slept off watching the performance. Film stars are paid for these performances in cash and kind. Akshay Kumar claims in the video below (watch from 5th to 6th minute) that he got an offer to perform at an award ceremony for half his price and the organizers assured him an award instead. He declined the award and asked for his full price.
When you have to keep so many egotist film stars happy, of course you have to invent new award categories. Screen Awards 2019 had categories like Real Star Awards and Best Ethnic Style Awards for both males and females. And they were given to film actors, but not really for acting. I am sure some of them performed on the stage. They at times give Best Onscreen Jodi (Couple) Award. This happens when Shahrukh Khan and Kajol act in the shittiest film of the year. In Filmfare awards, they give multiple best actor awards - Popular Best Actor and Critics' Award for Best Actor. We all know that the organizers didn't have the guts to not give the award to the Popular Best Actor. Had Academy Awards learned this trick, Leonardo DiCaprio would have won much earlier, his Oscar!
These are some of the reasons that the National Film Awards in India are more respected. I can't claim that they are entirely credible, as politics of the day play an important role in them too. But one thing these National Film Awards get right is that they don't need a sponsor. On the other hand, Filmfare Awards 2019 are actually called Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards. At some point in past, they were called Manikchand Filmfare Awards. I sometimes wonder, why such a strong fixation with Paan Masala / Gutka / Tobacco brands.
May be these awards are like the Paan Masala. Pop into your mouth! Chew! Spit! They guarantee to leave a bad taste in your mouth.
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My theme for this year's #AtoZchallenge is Hindi Film Industry / Bollywood cliches. You can read the theme reveal post here.
2017 Challenge Post from Letter A: Away - It was a contemplative post about being away from home. Click here to read.
2018 Challenge Post from Letter A: Amazing things that my ten year old self would find miraculous today - It was a fun post looking back upon my amazing childhood and changes since then. Click here to read.
