Award-winning director angered by nomination as 'debut-maker'

New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS) Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Jahnu Barua is up in arms at being nominated in the "best debut director" category of the 12th annual Star Screen Awards for his new movie "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara".

Barua has good reason for his anger - "Maine Gandhi..." is his tenth film as director and his earlier movies have garnered him numerous National Film Awards as well as honours at prestigious film festivals at Locarno, Chicago, Brussels and Tokyo.

"I am very much insulted," Barua told IANS on phone from Guwahati, reacting to his inclusion in the "best debut director" category of Star Screen Awards, which will be given away in Mumbai Jan 15.

"My films have won 10 National Film Awards and 23 awards at international festivals. How can I be nominated as a debut making director?"

There have been some suggestions that Barua, who hails from Assam and has mostly made films in Assamese, had been nominated in this category as "Maine Gandhi..." was in Hindi.

But he dismissed this, pointing out that even his debut film "Aparoopa" (1982) was made simultaneously in Hindi with a separate cast.

"Do you mean to say that if ('Gandhi' director) Richard Attenborough made a film tomorrow in Hindi, he would be nominated for some award as a debut making filmmaker?" Barua asked.

The nominations for the Star Screen Awards were announced in The Indian Express newspaper Sunday, with Barua figuring in the debut director section with newcomers like Pradeep Sarkar ("Parineeta") and Onir ("My Brother Nikhil").

Following the release last year of "Maine Gandhi...", which stars Anupam Kher and Urmila Matondkar, Barua faced the embarrassment of being referred to by several TV news channels as a director from Orissa and even South Korea.

Barua's "Halodhiya Choraye Baodhan Khai" (Catastophe) won the President's Swarna Kamal for the best feature film in 1987, while "Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door" (It's a Long Way to the Sea) received the Swarna Kamal for best director in 1996.

His "Firingoti (Spark)" won the second best film national award and the best actress award for Moloya Goswami.

In 2003, Barua was given the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award, for his contribution to cinema.

Click the Movie button below for more info:
Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara