Three different committees were instituted in order to judge the various entries for feature film, non-feature film and best writing on cinema sections; headed by National award winner director, Sai Paranjpye, for feature films and Ashoke Viswanathan along with Namita Gokhale for non-feature films and best writing on cinema sections, respectively.[2]
Each chairperson announced the award on 7 September 2009[3] for their respective sections and award ceremony took place at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi with President of India, Pratibha Patil giving away the awards on 21 October 2009.[4][5]
Awards
Awards were divided into feature films, non-feature films and books written on Indian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Lifetime achievement award is given to the prominent personality from the Indian film industry for the significant contributions given.
Juries
A committee consisting four eminent personalities from Indian film industry was appointed to evaluate the lifetime achievement award, Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Following were the jury members:[6]
Citation:For presenting a rare portrayal of Kanchi's silk weaver community, and the internal struggle of a weaver caught between his ideals and personal reams. A vibrant story and technical excellence blend to create a total cinematic experience.
Citation:For bringing to life with warmth and vivacity life in those distant desolate snow bound heights where existence itself is a fulltime challenge.
Citation:For creating endearing characters who with their breath taking quixotic antics, battle the evil force of greed, in a refreshingly new manner. For taking animation in a new direction.
Citation:For his delicate and subtle handling of gender issues in a conventional society. Four women of different marital status are trivialised and subjected to abject neglect by their immediate partners and family.
Citation:For powerfully bringing forth the message that humanity is of much greater value than religion. The transformation of an orthodox and superstitious priest is very beautifully depicted.
Citation:For realistically depicting the psychological dialectic between an ordinary family driving their children to educational excellence, thereby neglecting their specially gifted child dealing with the problem of dyslexia in isolation.
Citation:For exposing the "marriages for sale" racket and dramatically presenting a browbeaten girl who finds her courage and her voice and rebels against her tyrannical father.
Citation:For a heart rending portrayal of the sorry plight of a wronged woman belonging to a minority community surrounded by an uncaring and hostile society.
Citation:For truthfully portraying the angst of a great historical figure – Mahatma Gandhi. The Father of the Nation stands defeated in his personal relationship with his own son.
Citation:For covering the range from tenderness to angry defiance with consummate ease, while portraying Tingya – a boy whose love for his Ox is the driving force of his young life.
Citation:For the artistic and technical excellence of cinematography revealed through superb reproduction of tonalities and stark compositions, maintaining the texture on high altitude.
Citation:For the imaginative and emotional handling of uncompromisingly steadfast side of the Father of the Nation with special reference to his relationship with his troublesome son.
Citation:For the soulful poetry that captures the trauma of a family beset with a rare problem of their little son who is happily saved by an understanding teacher.
Citation:For the pioneering effort of rendering tones and textures that assume realistic proportions. Turing dark skin tone to fair by painstaking computer graphic work is most convincingly done.
Citation:For throwing light on a relatively unknown aspect of the Father of the Nation and his stormy relationship with his difficult rebellious son, in a rare and compelling manner.
Regional Awards
The award is given to best film in the regional languages in India.[1][8]
Citation:For a sensitive depiction of the ordeal of Indian prisoners of war trapped between extreme hostility and official apathy in an alien land and showing fortitude in a hopeless situation.
Citation:For tracing the impact of new media on a fishing community of coastal Karnataka, against the backdrop of globalised business practices and growing communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims at the turn of the century.
Citation:For a biographical feature which takes on issues like superstition, untouchability, widow remarriage etc by forcefully depicting the life of the great social reformer Shri E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker popularly known as Periyar.
Best Feature Film in Each of the Language Other Than Those Specified In the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Citation:For a brilliant and visually stunning work of cinema on the life of a reclusive Shakespearian actor, well past his prime. His whimsical and passionate persona makes him a memorable and loveable character.
Non-Feature Films
Films made in any Indian language shot on 16 mm, 35 mm or in a wider gauge or digital format and released on either film format or video/digital but certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as a documentary/newsreel/fiction are eligible for non-feature film section.
Juries
A committee headed by Ashoke Viswanathan was appointed to evaluate the non-feature films awards. Following were the jury members:[1][2]
Jury Members
Ashoke Viswanathan (Chairperson) • Prabhu Radhakrishnan • Rajendra Janglay • Jasmine K. Roy • Ashok Ogra • Ramesh Asher
Citation:For its sensitive albeit searching exploration of those in prisons in alien countries; a complex polyphony of variegated voices, the film is an endeavour to find hope in the midst of a struggle against despair.
Citation:For its conventional handling of a renowned literary text. The element of surprise is presented in an effortless manner, spontaneous and full of miraculous madness.
Citation:For an honest portrayal of life and traditions of the minuscule Phakey community of the Northeast, which despite the influence of globalisation, continues to preserve its individual identity.
Citation:For creatively bringing out the life and times of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma in his journey to revive the lost music of the Santoor and place it on the world stage. The pace and rhythm of the film is in tune with the melodious music of the Santoor.
Citation:For championing the cause of environmental conservation. The film depicts the contrast between two regions of the Malda district as they come to terms with the inevitable flow of nature. While one faces the eroding onslaught of the river Ganga, the other renews itself to survive amidst the scarcity of water.
Producer: Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Director: Bishnu Dev Halder
₹ 12,500/- Each
Citation:For its spontaneous and multilayered depiction of the life of a child living in a railway station. He is shown on the borderline between a struggle for survival and a life of crime.
Shifting Prophecy
English
Producer: Public Service Broadcasting Trust Director: Merajur Rahman Baruah
Citation:For handling the discrimination that Muslim women face in Tamil Nadu from some of the conservative clergy. The film successfully brings out the story of a woman activist who has galvanised the socially depressed women into fighting this gender discrimination.
Citation:For sensitively portraying the struggle faced by an HIV infected boy who is dismissed from school. The film takes a playful standpoint to inspire and instill a positive attitude towards this issue.
Producer: Ramesh Sharma Director: Ramesh Sharma and Ahmad Jamal
₹ 50,000/- Each
Citation:For trying to uncover the sequence of events that led to the gruesome murder of the Wall-street journalist, Daniel Pearl. This film is very well researched and the investigation provides an insight into the working of a militant organisation.
Producer: Film and Television Institute of India Director: Siddharth Sinha
₹ 50,000/- Each
Citation:For creatively portraying a young boy's dilemma as he comes face to face with the temptations of life. The film evocatively explores the erotic under-currents in this coming of age tale.
Producer: Public Service Broadcasting Trust Director: Suvendu Chatterjee
₹ 50,000/- Each
Citation:For its multilayered exploration of the issue of alternative sexuality in a politically troubled state; celebrating this sexual orientation in a spontaneous manner, the film depicts it as a normal proclivity in a family setup. This, in no way, effects one's daily chores, particularly as the protagonist is a make-up artist of great acceptance.
Citation:For her arresting use of lenses and lighting in the creation of a strange and magical world, full of a certain atmospheric dampness and mistiness, further enhanced by a consistent exhibition of striking cinematic compositions.
Citation:For the emptiness of Pori's world is enhanced through the effective use of music, which is understated yet powerful, thus blending seamlessly into the narrative.
Citation:For the powerful and humane narration of Ayodhya Gatha weaves together the story of Ayodhya - its past, present and uncertain future - in a manner that touches you without overpowering you.
Citation:For its brilliant evocation of Kolkata. The film brings out sights and sounds, smells and stories, myths and memories in a manner that is realistic and yet magical.
• Public Service Broadcasting Trust (Producer) • Vipin Vijay (Director)
Citation:For its creative use of visual craft to reflect on the relationship between menstrual rituals, the colour red and nature of human existence. The film engages the audience very deeply in its experimental exploration of the inner life of young women protagonists and their unique relationship with blood.
Best Writing on Cinema
The awards aim at encouraging study and appreciation of cinema as an art form and dissemination of information and critical appreciation of this art-form through publication of books, articles, reviews etc.
Juries
A committee headed by Namita Gokhale was appointed to evaluate the writing on Indian cinema. Following were the jury members:[1][2]
