Subhash K Jha (DNA; January 14, 2015)


One top actress who had a very ‘happy’ year flatly told the organisers of an awards event that she won’t attend the awards unless she was given one.

Says a source close to the awards, “The jury members had already decided to give the best actress award to another actress for playing a sporty part in another film. They had no option but to accommodate the ‘happy’ heroine with a last-minute award because her superstar-hero wouldn’t come to the function if she didn’t.”

The organisers and jury members also seem to suffer from serious lapses of basic knowledge about the nominees. To take an example, Tahir Raj Bhasin who was admittedly stunning as a suave villain in Mardaani, has been nominated in the debutants’ category in nearly every awards nominations this year.

Tahir had actually made his debut in 2012 in that atrocious Vivek Oberoi, Mallika Sherawat-starrer Kismat Love Paisa Dilli, aka by the unflattering acronym KLPD.

An even worst instance of jury ignorance is the nomination for Best Director at a highly-regarded awards function. Apparently, the jury appeared completely ignorant of the fact that Sanjay Leela Bhansali is billed as the ‘Creative Director’ of Mary Kom. Bhansali received a last-minute panic call from the organisers expressing their surprise that he was part of the film’s creative team.

Says a source close to Bhansali, “We don’t know how they could’ve missed this vital detail. His name comes in the beginning and at the end of the film. If the jury watched the film it couldn’t have missed it. Understandably Mr Bhansali didn’t attend.”

As expected a lot of the awards are going to A-listers who are willing to attend and/or dance at the shows.
Merit, as we all know, is a by-product at the awards functions.