MID-DAY (March 29, 2016)

"I did not aspire for a big house or other such stuff; I wanted to be known by my work," National Award- winner Nila Madhab Panda told hitlist soon after receiving the Padma Shri on Monday. Describing the felicitation ceremony as a surreal moment, the 42-year-old Odisha-born filmmaker said he was filled with pride when President Pranab Mukherjee asked him to “keep up the good work”.

“As soon as I entered Rashtrapati Bhavan, seeing the President and the Prime Minister and other bigwigs, it was a surreal moment for me. I had never imagined myself here. My whole life came back to me. I went into flashback. I always wanted my work to give me identity. This honour also comes with a huge responsibility,” said Panda, who won the National Award for I Am Kalam (2010).

At the event, he met poet and writer Haldhar Nag who also hails from his home state. “He comes from a humble background and always wears a vest and banian, and walks barefoot — that’s how he attended the ceremony too. It is so fulfilling to see such people bag awards,” he added.

So, what are his plans to celebrate the joyous occasion? “I plan to celebrate this day with a few friends at a restaurant in New Delhi. I am not into fashion, but made it a point to wear a bandhgala to the event,” he said.