Syed Rafi
The recent decisions by the Telangana state government regarding its film awards, particularly the so-called Gaddar State Film Awards, have sparked intense debate, and rightly so. Far from being an objective or culturally uplifting exercise, this entire episode reeks of political opportunism, administrative negligence, and a blatant disregard for historical accuracy and artistic merit.
At the heart of the controversy lies the decision to award the film “Rajakar” under the historical category. This is not a trivial matter. Eminent social historians and writers have publicly decried the film for grossly distorting the Telangana peasant armed struggle, portraying historical events through a communal lens, and potentially inciting sectarian tensions. By honoring such a film, the government not only legitimizes its false narrative but also lends state endorsement to a version of history that has been denounced by scholars. What message does that send? Is that propaganda acceptable as long as it suits the political flavor of the day?
What makes this more disturbing is that the award is named after the revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, a symbol of people’s resistance and secularism. Gaddar’s legacy stood for unity, social justice, and the voice of the marginalized. By linking his name to a film criticized for distorting history and sowing communal discord, the government has performed a grave injustice to his memory. Is this how a secular party honors its heroes—by attaching their names to projects that compromise the very ideals they lived and died for?
But the rot doesn’t stop there. The state’s decision to felicitate the lead actor of “Pushpa 2”, a character shown smuggling contraband, objectifying women, and ridiculing law enforcement, raises even more troubling questions. Is this the role model we want to present to our youth? Are we now celebrating cinematic depictions of lawlessness, misogyny, and anti-police rhetoric? Such decisions, far from promoting good cinema, appear to glorify criminality and undermine the morale of those who uphold law and order.
Even the award distribution process reeks of inconsistency and backdoor maneuvering. How can the jury declare, until the last minute, that there would be no award for Best Film Critic, only to hastily announce a winner—Ponnam Ravichandra—without any transparent explanation? What changed overnight? Is this how serious cultural honours are decided in a democratic setup?
If the government claims to recognize films in languages like Urdu, why wasn’t a single Urdu-speaking expert included in the jury? And why were Urdu films neglected for the last ten years? Such selective recognition betrays tokenism, not inclusivity.
The core objective of film awards should be to recognize artistic excellence and motivate creators—writers, directors, technicians, and performers—not merely to benefit producers and politically connected individuals. Yet, the state has inexplicably ignored thousands of artists who contributed to Telugu cinema between 2014 and 2023. Astonishingly, awards were granted based only on production houses, while those who toiled behind the camera went unrecognized.
How did the jury watch and assess nearly 2,000 films in just 15–20 days? Such haste can only mean one thing: the decisions were made arbitrarily, bypassing due process. Even more shocking is the fact that multiple films linked to the TFDC chairman were selected for awards. If the chairman is himself a producer and his films receive honours under his tenure, isn’t that a glaring conflict of interest?
The result is a mockery of both cinema and governance. Instead of celebrating creativity, the awards have become a stage-managed spectacle that squanders public money and creates disillusionment among genuine artists. It reduces a potentially prestigious state function into a farce.
It’s high time Telangana formulates a transparent and fair film policy. One that includes credible juries, multilingual experts, and time-bound evaluations. Only then can we hope to encourage meaningful, artistic filmmaking that reflects our state’s vibrant culture and social ethos.
Let’s not dishonour the legacy of artists like Gaddar. Let’s not reward distortion and mediocrity. Let’s restore dignity to our cultural institutions. (The author is a Filmmaker)
