Last week, when it was announced that Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla won the National Film Award in the Best Costume Designer category for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, though designer Nachiket was surprised, the win was not totally unexpected. He shared with us that creating costumes for a period drama is a laborious and time-consuming process that involves excessive research and he’s happy that the honour recognized the hard work that went into it.

A look at the past awards in the Best Costume Designer category reveals that period dramas often manage to impress the jury. And the reason isn’t just that the genre lends itself to grandeur, but also that period dramas help create awareness about history and culture, and in the revival of crafts and textiles. Three costume designers who have been recipients of the top honour – Neeta Lulla, Anna Singh and Nachiket Barve – share their experiences of creating costumes for period dramas.

Costume designers say that over the years everyone – be it cinegoers, critics or juries – has noticed how period dramas help in creating awareness about history and the art and craft traditions of a particular era or a place. And costumes play an important role in this.

Neeta Lulla, who has won four National Film Awards for Devdas, Lamhe, Jodhaa Akbar and Balgandharva, says, “In my journey, I am grateful that I am the only designer who has got four national awards. Two of these – Jodhaa Akbar and Marathi film Balgandharva – have been period dramas. There is no denying the fact that a period drama and the research that goes into recreating a particular era on screen create a strong cultural connect with the audience. The story becomes a medium to tell the audience about the culture of the place and a particular time period. And costumes are an important part of that story.”

Adds costume designer Anna Singh, who won the National Film Award for Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story (2005), “I feel that period dramas winning the National Film Award in different categories is also the recognition of the fact that they help in spreading awareness on history and our culture, while introducing youngsters to our heritage, the lifestyle of people in the past, etc. Therefore, it is important that research be done carefully for such projects. Even for minor details, factual accuracy should be maintained.”

While designing for any other movie requires sourcing fabrics and jewellery to suit its story, costume designing for a period film has no scope of factual inaccuracy and it often also involves recreation of fabrics and textiles that may not even be available anymore. “When I was doing Taj Mahal, the director had original paintings and actual portraits that were a very valuable input and served as a reference point, but the challenge was to recreate that look with what was available. Certain fabrics like kinkhwab, very common in the Mughal era, were not available. Our shoot location was in Jodhpur and we ended up finding carpet weavers in the area and set up a workshop to weave the fabric which was used to create costumes for the movie. So there is a lot of micro work that goes into creation of costumes for period dramas and a lot of research. It is thanks to these awards and recognitions for costume designing in films that we get to talk about this elaborate process,” says Anna.

Nachiket says that he used 400-year-old jewellery moulds and got in touch with the royal family that still had them to create designs for Tanhaji. “When you are designing for any other film, you have the option of sourcing the material and creating the look, which is more like styling. But a period film only requires designing, because everything has to be created from scratch – be it the pagdi or the armour. So, you have to recreate those keeping in mind your research about what kind of material was available then. In Tanhaji, I have worked with natural dyes from plants and minerals, as those were used at that time.”

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Bringing the inspirational life journey of poet, philosopher Pandit Lakhmi Chand, also known as Kalidas of Haryana, to the silver screen involved years of rigorous research work. For director-actor Yashpal Sharma, who also essayed Pandit ji’s character in the film Dada Lakhmi, the execution of the biopic has been the most challenging part.

Pandit Lakhmi Chand, referred to as Dada Lakhmi, is known to have popularised folk theatre of Haryana, Saang. He was also accorded the honour of the Surya Har of Haryanvi music for his work in Raagni. And now when the movie Dada Lakhmi: A Musical Journey of Pandit Lakhmi Chandhas won the Best Haryanvi Film in the 68th National Film Awards for 2020, announced on Friday, the Hisar born actor is elated.

“It took me more than five years to make the film,” says Sharma, who made his directorial debut with this film. He adds, “The groundwork for the film started even earlier. Life of such a great personality could not be summed up in one project. The second part is on anvil.”

Sharma made back-to-back visits to villages across Haryana, sifting through records and documenting information from elderly people across rural belts. “We did tapasya to make this film. Haryanvi films have a great potential. The state is a treasure trove of stories, mostly gone untold.”

Even before the project was conceptualized, Sharma had planned to make the project award worthy. “I wanted to make it an award-winning film. I am happy it came out that way.”

He adds, “It’s important to attract audiences. I feel Haryanvi cinema is on a strong revival path. Now, we need more screens to exhibit our work. Many movies were being made in the past but they could not reach the festival platform due to lack of screens.”

Haryanvi films which picked up awards in the past include, Gulaabo (1986), Chandrawal (1984), Laado (2000), Pagdi: The Honour (2014) and Satrangi (2016). Next, Sharma is exploring stories that need to be narrated. “The state has given many legends. Par unki kahaani ya kaam zyada bahar nahin aaye. I am researching on topics to highlight our rich history to our future generations,” he says.

It was 1951 when Madhya Pradesh saw its first ever film shoot with Dilip Kumar’s Aan. 71 years and more than 600 film projects later, the state has added another accolade to its bag. At the 68th National Film Awards, Madhya Pradesh was declared the Most Film Friendly State in the country. The numerous films and shows shot across MP stand testimony to the fact that it has emerged as a preferred shoot destination for the showbiz industry. What makes MP shoot-friendly?

Talking about the reasons that have put MP on the map of filmmakers, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, managing director of the MP Tourism Board, shares, “The award is certainly an impetus to keep working the way we do. We are also working on establishing infrastructure for film studios, post-production houses and virtual studios in the state.”

“With the initiation of Film Facilitation Cell, the department has added nodal officers in all major districts that are popular for shoot, who will be handholding the crew through different processes as and when needed,” he adds.

Umakant Choudhary, deputy director of the board, who handles the filming aspect, explains, “Single window clearance for the shoot permissions through the web portal has been a huge attraction for filmmakers. Between 2019 and 2022, more than 90 films, web series and TV shows have been shot in the state. Under MP’s Film Tourism Policy 2020 we have provided various subsidies to encourage more people to shoot here.”

In the last 15 years, various destinations have seen shoots taking place. Line producer Syed Zaid Ali, who has handled the work for 350 plus projects, shares, “MP offers diversity in terms of locations, culture, talent and more. Prakash Jha, who shot Raajneeti here, spoke about the opportunities the state has to offer and that helped open more avenues. Even when we faced trouble while shooting a recent series featuring Bobby Deol, the issue was sorted soon, and shooting resumed the same day.”

Harsh Dave, another line producer from Indore, who has handled projects like Dabangg and Ponniyin Selvan: I, shares, “The state has so many beautiful destinations that can double up as options for showcasing any part of the country. The local people go out of their way to accommodate the shoot, even agreeing to temporarily stay at a different place if required. All this makes filmmakers want to return to the state to shoot.”

— Inputs by Mihir Bhanage and Rachana Dubey

Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, which Ajay co-produced, also won the Best Popular Film – Providing Wholesome Entertainment Award.

Reflecting on it, Ajay says, “As the producer of the film, it gives me immense joy to receive the award for the Best film that has provided wholesome entertainment. Tanhaji was exactly that. It is a good story of friendship, loyalty, family values and sacrifice. It has strong national sentiments, super VFX and a holistic approach in entertainment. I must share the honour with my director Om Raut, my co-producers and co-actors. Most of all, I thank my creative team, who has contributed handsomely to making this a blockbuster and now a National Award-winner.”

The film was Ajay’s 100th film as an actor. Does that make this victory more special? “Honestly, all films are special,” he says, adding, “I’m so passionate about my cinema, it’s hard to choose the 100th film above the 99th one. Yes, I agree that Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior is special because it came together so beautifully.”

The actor had announced that the film marked the beginning of the Unsung Warriors franchise. Ask him if this win gives his plans a boost further, and he says, “The Unsung Warriors franchise is definitely on. We are working on it and already have one in the pipeline. However, a franchise like this needs a lot of patience and research. So, the progress will be slower than in the case of regular cinema.”

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Filmmaker Om Raut was busy working on his next project when he got a call congratulating him on winning a National Film Award for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, and he has not stopped smiling since then. “It’s my first award, but I am not the first one in my family to get it. My grandfather (late J S Bandekar) and mother (Neena Raut) are National Award winners,” he tells us, adding, “The first one is always special.”

The 2020 film has bagged three awards — Best Actor, Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Costume Design.

Raut says getting the national honour not only validates the entire team’s efforts in making the ambitious project on the life of Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare, but also infuses energy to outdo the expectations: “It was a big film. We got good box-office success, but when we started with it, it was madness. Ajay Devgn (actor-co-producer) has been so supportive in every aspect of the film. When I narrated the film to him, he said he would not only act in it but also back it.”

This year, the National Film Awards were dominated by the myriad hues of regional cinema. “They are called National Awards for a reason,” Raut stresses, adding, “I don’t think cinema can be divided by any boundaries or language. You can’t break it down in any way or language. My first film was in Marathi, my second was in Hindi, and my third is in Hindi and Telugu. Tomorrow, I might make a film in some other language. What is important is the story you want to tell. Language doesn’t matter.”

Filmmaker and music director Vishal Bhardwaj is delighted to get his eighth National Film Award. Filmmaker Vinod Kapri’s 1232 Kms: Marenge To Wahin Jaakar, which documents the suffering and anguish of migrant workers during the initial wave of Coronavirus and the lockdown, earned Bhardwaj the honour of Best Music Direction in the Non-Feature Film category.

The 56-year-old says that the honour acknowledges the suffering of migrant workers: “Woh acknowledge nahin hua tha, na ho raha tha. I really want to thank this jury for acknowledging not just this song, but through this song, they are actually acknowledging the pain of all the migrants.”

Recalling the making of the music, Bhardwaj shares, “Amid the pandemic, I had shifted to Mussoorie (Uttarakhand). When Vinod Kapri (filmmaker) contacted us, Gulzar (lyricist-filmmaker) and I, we were so moved. We decided to do it free of charge, and asked him to make the basic recording cost. We were all pent up inside because of what was happening in the pandemic and the images we were seeing of the migrants walking for thousands and thousands of kilometres. Gulzar ji had put it succinctly, ‘Marenge To Wahin Jaakar’ found an outlet to express my feelings through the documentary,” he says.

For Bhardwaj, the sanctity of the award remains undefeated. “Baaki awards jo hote hain, woh lagta hai ke kisi paan ya gutke ke awards hain. Everyone wants to sell something and wants to show it on television to recover the money, and stars se dance leke usko exploit karenge. They come with a cheapness attached to it,” he says, adding, “Whereas, at the National Film Awards, the President gives you the award. You feel honoured to receive it from the first citizen of India. The sanctity of the National Award, its beauty and its honour are precious.”

Honouring the best of 2020’s cinematic excellence, the 68th National Film Awards were announced on Friday in the Capital. The report related to the awards was submitted to the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, and 10 jury members, headed by filmmaker Vipul Shah, took the final call.

Ajay Devgn and Suriya shared the Best Actor award. Devgn won it for the period drama Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and Suriya for Soorarai Pottru. His co-star in the movie, Aparna Balamurali, won the Best Actress award.

Devgn on receiving his third National Award said, “I’m elated to win the Best Actor Award along with Suriya. I thank everyone, most of all my creative team, the audience and my fans. I also express my gratitude to my parents and the Almighty for their blessings.”

Soorarai Pottru won the Best Feature Film, while Tanhaji... was declared the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla won the Best Costume Designer award for the same movie.

Child actor Varun Buddhadev got a special jury mention for the Sanjay Dutt and Rajiv Kapoor-starrer Toolsidas Junior, which also won the Best Feature Film, Hindi. It was also Kapoor’s last film before he died in Feb 2021.

Lyricist Manoj Muntashir won the National Award for Best Lyrics for Saina. Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj bagged the award for Best Music Direction (non-feature films section) for 1232 Kms: Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar. HTC

Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for I&B, told ANI, “I want to congratulate all the jury members and all those people whose work was reviewed and would like to congratulate the recipients. A word of appreciation for everyone who has done an outstanding job.”

Best Feature Film: Soorarai Pottru; Tamil

Best Actress: Aparna Balamurali (Soorarai Pottru)

Best Actor: Suriya (Soorarai Pottru) & Ajay Devgn (Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior; Hindi)

Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir (Saina; Hindi)

Best Costume Designer: Nachiket Barve & Mahesh Sherla (Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior)

Best Music Direction in Non-Feature Films: Vishal Bhardwaj (1232 Kms: Marenge Toh Wahin Jaakar; Hindi)