Hyderabad :

Two film personalities who contributed to the Telangana state struggle have been chosen for Ugadi puraskarams for this year. The Ugadi awards are given annually to personalities from different fields.

The awards announced for the first time by the Telangana government after it came into being also seek to honour film personalities.

Producer-director N Shankar and writer-actor M Bhoopal Reddy have been honoured with the awards for furthering the cause of the Telangana movement on the celluloid.

Shankar produced and directed ‘Jai Bolo Telangana’ for which chief minster K Chandrasekhara Rao penned lyrics. The film was about how the division of the state could make people happy and also help them live together. The movie was a big hit at the box-office in 2011.

“The whole purpose of the film was to explain clearly the reasons why a separate Telangana state was necessary,” Shankar told TOI. He also expressed his happiness at being chosen for the award.

Actor M Bhoopal Reddy who has also been selected for the Ugadi puraskarams played the lead role as Gond tribal leader Komaram Bheem in ‘Komaram Bheem’ which was made in 1990. Allani Sridhar got the state government’s Nandi award for the best debut film director award for ‘Komaram Bheem’.

The film also got the Nandi best film award for national integration. “Bhoopal Reddy perfectly suited for the role. It was important for us to make a film on Komaram Bheem,” Allani Sridhar said. Komaram Bheem who died in 1940 had mobilized the tribals and fought against the Nizam to liberate the tribals in Telangana and end their exploitation.

The film, for which Gautam Ghosh was the music director, however, got a theatrical release in the year 2010. Bhoopal Reddy who played Komaram bheem is also a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi award.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / March 19th, 2015