The national award for Best Film goes to Malayalam film ‘Pulijanmam.’ Starring Murali and Sindhu Menon, the film is directed by Priyanandan.

Film aficionados will be familiar with Priyanandan’s name. His name ranks along with other talented directors of Malayalam cinema like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Padmanathan and Aravindan.

In 2002, Priyanandan directed his first film ‘Neithukaaran.’ Starring Murali as the hero, the film won many awards including Kerala Govt’s Best Film Award.

‘Neithukaaran’ shows graphically how in the twilight years of his life, Communism gets diluted and how his comrades became power hungry.  The actor who did the role of the aged Namboodripad is the same Murali of ‘Pulijanmam.’ (He’s also a communist. He contested for the Communist party and lost).

When ‘Neithukaaran’ was released in 2002, it created a stir. After 4 years, Priyanandan has directed ‘Pulijanmam.’

Murali does the role of an individual who is unable top accept meaningless traditions of a society.  In the film, he attempts to stage a play titled ‘Pulijanmam.’ Through this, Priyanandan describes fundamental problems like water, land, community and traffic issues. This film is inspired by Prabakaran’s drama ‘Pulijanmam.’

After completing his first film, it took Priyanandan 4 years to direct his next film. That’s because he refused to bow down to trade pressures. Unfazed at the amount of time lost, he waited patiently to direct ‘Pulijanmam.’ The National Award is a small prize for his courage and honesty.

This is his fourth film. His first film ‘Chandini Bar’ that won many national awards is about how a young girl dances in a Mumbai bar to earn her living. Tabu did the title role of the bar dancer. Atul Kulkarni is the rowdy who marries her. The political influence of affluent gangsters, their henchmen who face police wrath, sexual offences and reform schools for the young, are some things about the people on the fringe of society that Madhur depicts in ‘Chandini Bar.’

Madhur’s second film was ‘Page Three’ that depicts the party culture of the higher echelons of society, their false respect, empty tantrums and artificiality.

Madhur’s third film ‘Corporate’ is about the workings and culture of corporates and hence drew ire from many corporate companies!

His fourth film ‘Traffic Signal’ is about the big city of Mumbai, the small vendors who draw their livelihood at traffic signals, beggars and conmen. They have to do their business when the light is red.

The story is about poor people in Mumbai but the cores that come out of the alms that beggars earn and the gangsters and tyrants behind this are some things that Madhur exposes in this film.

To ease traffic congestions, flyovers are being increasingly built in big cities. If one signal intersection is replaced by a flyover, so many who earn their living at that signal are affected.

Madhur’s films show how the lower section of society live their cursed lives, with no frills or hogwash. They are deeply researched and he does not allow himself to be caught in the glitter of Bollywood films.

Both Priyanandan and Madhur do not allow the market to dictate to them. In their getting awards, the awards have been done proud!