Kannada film 'Shivamma' bag major award at Busan Film Festival
Another Indian film 'The Winter Within' also among awards
New Delhi (PTI): Kannada movie "Shivamma" and actor-director Aamir Bashir's "The Winter Within" have won trophies at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival.
"Shivamma", directed by first-time filmmaker Jaishankar Aryar, won the New Currents Award along with the Korean title "A Wild Roomer".
Bashir's "The Winter Within" was adjudged the winner of KB New Currents Audience Award during the festival's closing ceremony on Friday.
"Shivamma" chronicles the story of a poor, middle-aged woman sales representative for an energy drink company. It features Sharanamma Chetti and Chennamma Abbegere, and is produced by "Kantara" star-filmmaker Rishab Shetty.
According to festival organisers, the New Currents Award is given to the two best feature films selected from the first or second feature of new Asian directors introduced in the New Currents section of the festival. It carries a grand prize of USD 30,000 for each film.
"We appreciated the originality and intensity with which the director was able to tell this very contemporary story. Here documentary and fiction meet in an organic and spirited way of making cinema.
"The generosity of the actors and the scenes create a closeness with this universal story that takes place in an Indian village," the jury, which included world-renowned film experts, said in a note shared on the festival website.
Aryar, who hails from Bengaluru, celebrated his debut film's win in a post on Instagram.
"Delighted to share the wonderful news that the new currents award of 27th Busan film festival goes to 'Shivamma'. The first Kannada film to win this honour," the filmmaker said.
Bashir's "The Winter Within" is his second directorial effort after he made his debut with 2010's National Award-winning Urdu movie "Harud".
It took home the KB New Currents Audience Award, which is given to the title that is most highly rated by festival audiences from the New Currents section.
The award carries a prize of USD 18,000 for the director.
"The Winter Within" is set in Bashir's native Kashmir, where small and big skirmishes and terrorist activities occur frequently due to the long conflict between India and Pakistan, as well as the border dispute with China, as per the official description on the website.
The story follows a domestic helper, named Nargis, who looks everywhere to find out whether her husband Manzoor, who was arrested after joining the armed rebellion, is dead or alive.
"She is fired when her employer learns that Manzoor is a militant. She returns to her hometown, and Yaseen, who has feelings for her, offers help. Then one day, Manzoor comes home, and the three of them experience subtle emotional changes," the official synopsis read.
Bashir, known for appearing in films and shows such as "A Wednesday", "Haider" and "Sacred Games", penned the movie's screenplay with filmmaker Shanker Raman. The two had earlier collaborated on Raman's 2017 acclaimed directorial "Gurgaon".
Earlier, filmmaker Vinay Shukla's documentary While We Watched , featuring news anchor Ravish Kumar, won the Cinephile Award at the film gala. The honour is given to the best Korean and Asian documentary film presented in the Wide Angle documentary showcase section.
While We Watched , which had its Asia premiere at Busan, is described as a turbulent newsroom drama that intimately chronicles the working days of broadcast journalist Kumar as he navigates a spiralling world of truth and disinformation.
The 27th edition of the Busan International Film Festival was held from October 5 to 14.
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Kharge submits privilege notice in RS against Shah over Ambedkar remarks
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday submitted a privilege notice against Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks against B R Ambedkar.
In his notice submitted to the RS Chairman, Kharge alleged that the remarks made by Shah were an insult to the architect of the Constitution and amounted to breach of privilege and contempt of the House.
"I hereby give a notice of question of privilege against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs under Rule 188 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)," Kharge said in his notice.
He said on December 17, Shah during his reply in the Rajya Sabha on the discussion on 'Glorious journey of 75 years of the Constitution of India', had referred to Ambedkar which was "insulting and defamatory".
"...it is well established that any misconduct in the presence of the House or casting reflections and making defamatory statements constitute a breach of privilege and contempt of the House," he noted.
Kharge also claimed that the wording as well as the tone and tenor of the remarks made by the Home minister "are clearly satirical and made in a very bad taste".
"To use the name of Dr B R Ambedkar, the chief architect of Constitution of India, is a clear cut insult to Dr Ambedkar. There remarks which have been made on the floor of the House are outright derogatory in nature and affront to Dr Ambedkar," he claimed in his notice.
Noting that such a conduct by the home minister is tantamount to breach of privilege and contempt of the house, Kharge said, "In view of the foregoing I request that privilege proceedings may be initiated against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs."
Sharing Kharge's privilege notice in a post on X, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji has submitted a privilege notice against the Union Home Minister for his insulting remarks on Dr. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on Dec 17, 2024".
The Congress and other opposition parties are seeking the resignation and sacking of Shah for his remarks.
Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha related to Ambedkar after BJP leaders "exposed" the opposition party's repeated "insults" to the architect of the Constitution.
