VISWAROOPAM AND DEIVA THIRUMAGAL, THE FESTIVAL CONNECTION

Awards and Thamizh films seem to go hand in hand these days and the work of our industry has garnered headlines all over which is definitely a good sign. While Aadukalam swept the awards tally last year at the National segment, it was an encore of sorts this year too with accolades for Aaranya Kandam, Azhagar Saamiyin Kudhirai and Vaagai Sooda Vaa in different categories.

Even as these honors happened at the National circuit, our artists are getting busier accepting awards at International film festivals too.

Earlier last year, Vijay’s Kaavalan was invited to be screened at the prestigious Shanghai Film Festival under the Focus India section of the panorama which was certainly a moment of pride for the Thamizh film sorority.

And this year the administrators of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, that is scheduled to happen in the month of May, have extended their deadline so as to enable Kamal Haasan to screen his magnum opus Viswaroopam. There could not be a bigger honor than this. When a film festival as big and exalted as Cannes is willing to bend their rules to facilitate inclusion of an artist’s film, need we say more?

While these honors and ‘feel good’ events are happening on one side, we have one more interesting success story from our very own Deiva Thirumagal crew.

Deiva Thirumagal won Grand Prix Award for Best Film and ABC Award for Best Entertainer at Osaka Asian Film Festival held earlier in the month of March.

Although the film received good reviews and there were expectations for Vikram to win a National Award for his performance, Deiva Thirumagal did not emerge triumphant here but brought home laurels from Osaka. 

The surprising fact about this is Deiva Thirumagal was only sent to Korean film Festival and not to Osaka. The authorities at Korean film festival had forwarded the film to Osaka Asian film Festival. Hence there was not big excitement at DT camp and since director A L Vijay and hero Vikram were shooting for Thandavam, they just stole a few days to be present at Osaka.

At the time of announcement of the awards, Vijay was not present and there was just Vikram who was not aware of declaration of awards as it was done in Japanese and the title was God’s own child, the translation of Deiva Thirumagal in English. Only when people started shaking Vikram’s hands, did he realize that the film has won the award. Needless to say, the moment was the most cherishable one for Vikram and all associated with the film.  

To borrow UTV Dhananjayan’s words, “The wins at the film festival reiterate the fact that our films, across languages, have managed to entertain audiences worldwide." 

Awards in any form are an impetus for artists to scale greater heights and are an endorsement for celebration of creativity. Thamizh films right now are not only creating waves indigenously but also in overseas shores are definitely an encouraging trend.

To sign off, here is wishing Kamal a great time at Cannes and hoping that there are more and more laurels for our films nationally and internationally.