9th October 2005

On the eve of Nandi awards announcement, idlebrain.com contacted the winners to get their responses.

Rajendra Prasad (Best Leading Actor) - It is all about humanity

Aa Naluguru film preaches humanity. Now I see humanity in the jury members too when they announced fair results for Nandi awards this year. This is my 6th Nandi award. It makes me feel happier because Aa Naluguru also won the best film award. It happened like that for Erra Mandaram film too in the past. I would like to give a special commendation to media for promoting Aa Naluguru film right from the beginning. When media believes in something, then everybody should follow it. This film also proved that Telugu film industry boasts off brilliant actors. If producers are willing to make films like Aa Naluguru, you can see brilliant performances by other actors too.

Kamalinee Mukherjee (Best leading actress) - It is beyond the belief

I am totally shocked. It is unexpected and is beyond the belief. I was sad earlier when Anand film was ignored at Filmfare awards. Director Sekhar Kammula deserves more credit than me for this film. I am really ecstatic that Andhra people appreciated and accepted an outsider like me. I completed Meenakshi which is due for release. Five days of shoot is left for Style film. Right now I am working for Godavari film by Sekhar Kammula at Rajhmundry. I would like to thank Sekhar Kammula and the entire unit of Anand for this award.

Sekhar Kammula (Best director and Best producer) - Its very encouraging

I am really glad that I personally won two awards (best director and best producer) and my film Anand won six awards. It is very encouraging and the awards are pretty genuine. I expected an award for camera work also as we experimented a lot in that department. I am also glad that Aa Naluguru won the first best film award. I am hoping to repeat the feat with my next film Godavari.

Sashank (Best supporting actor) - Most unexpected one

I am thrilled. Nandi award is the most unexpected one for me. I am really amazed and shocked by the news. I would like to thank my director Rajamouli on this occasion.

Dharmavarapu Subramanyam (Best comedy actor) - Fair awards this time

I am feeling very happy. More so because everybody is saying that the awards given this time and very fair. I got 3 Nandi awards for my TV performances earlier. This is my 1st Nandi award for performance in films.

Baby Bakitha (Best child actress) - Thank you

I came to know about this news from idlebrain.com only. I follow idlebrain.com as it posted my photographs from Anand film. I would like to thank all the unit members and jury members.

Prem Patra (producer of the 1st best feature film Aa Naluguru) - Excellent human values

Aa Naluguru winning Nandi award as best feature film is an example of excellent human vales. I was disappointed that Aa Naluguru did not win any nationa award. Nandi awards come as a big solace for us. I would like to thank entire Aa Naluguru team especially Rajendra Prasad, Chandra Siddardha and Madan. Press helped us a lot in carrying good buzz about the film. I am indebted to the audience and jury members for encouraging this film.

Anji Reddy (producer of 3rd best feature film Grahanam) - Little disappointed

Though I am glad that Grahanam won an award, I am little disappointed about it. Grahanam won a national award. And it brought some recognition to Telugu films on national level. I expected Grahanam to get best film award and I expected our performers like Bharani, Jayalalitha and Mehaneesh to win awards. On a whole, we are little unsatisfied with the results.

Mohana Krishna Indraganti (Best debut director) - Morale boost for the upcoming directors

It is really good to get a Nandi award after winning National award. It will act as morale boost to the upcoming directors to adapt literature to the films. If you observe the films that won Nandi this year, all of them are experimental and sensible ones. It is nice to see jury encouraging experimental films in stead of mass masala flicks. I am currently doing the script work of my forthcoming film 'Ekanta Geetam' which is going to be an adaptation of Buchibabu's classic 'Chavaraku Migiledi?'

Vidya Sagar (Best Music director) - Feels good to win both National and state award

I am really glad. It feels good to win both national and state (Nandi) award for the same film. I am basically a Telugu guy and started my career in Telugu with Dharma Teja film. Later on I worked for Chiranjeevi's film Mugguru Monagallu also. Commercially I got a big break in Telugu through Chandramukhi. Right now I am scoring music for a direct Telugu film of Pawan Kalyan called 'Bangaram'. I would like to thank every unit member of Swarabhishekam.

Chota K Naidu (Best cinematographer) - I value Nandi award a lot

I would like to give the credit of this award to the producer Shyam Prasad Reddy. I missed it a couple of times earlier for films like Matrudevobhava and Choodalani Vundi. I know the value of Nandi award and I got it today. I am grateful to jury committee for selecting as best cinematographer. I am currently doing Ram Gopal Varma's Hindi film which is being directed by JD Chakravarthy. I am also doing Lakshmi (Venkatesh - VV Vinayak) film. I would be doing Chiranjeevi's next film in the direction of Murugadas.

Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao (Best Editor) - This is my first Nandi

I am feeling happy as this is my first Nandi award though I was in film industry for decades. I expected Nandi award for my works like Seetakoka Chiluka and Amavasya Chandrudu. I am really happy that I got one for Sye.

Ravi Chavali (Best Story Writer) - Made The End with awards in mind

I am feeling happy to have won Nandi award. I made this film 'The End' by keeping awards and film festivals in mind. I am glad that I got the best story writer award and the film got best film award for national integration. This film was released and did not do well at box office. The story of this film is about how Muslim youth of India are being seduced from outsiders into Jihad and how outsiders are using Indian Muslims against India. I did lot of research before making this film. I would be doing a film soon with Jagapati Babu as hero. This film too would have a burning issue with commercial appeal.

Ram Lakshman (Best Stunt Masters) - happy to get in competitive world

This is our 1st Nandi award. We are glad that we won an award in a field where there is so much of competition. We won Santosham award for ANOTA film. We got good appreciation for our work in recently released Bhadra and Andhrudu. We are presently working for Ram Gopal Varma's Shock.

Chitra (Best female playback singer) - Chala santoshamga vundi

Chala santoshamga vundi. This is my seventh Nandi award. I won filmfare award for the same song (Nuvvustanante Nenoddantana song from Varsham). I would like to thank music director Devi Sri Prasad and lyricist Sirivennela for their contribution to the song.

Chandra Bose: (Best lyricist) - double thanks to Keeravani

This is my second Nandi award. I got my first Nandi award for Nee Nvvula Telladananni (Aadi) song. Now I got it for Cheekatitho song. I would like to thank Keeravani twice for this song because I wrote the lyrics first and he composed tune based on lyrics. He also sung the song. I would like to thank director VN Aditya for explaining the situation in an inspiring way.

Sunitha (Best female dubbing artist) - 3rd consecutive Nandi award

People got used to certain kind of modulation and filmmakers ask me to repeat it most of the time. But for Anand film, director Sekhar Kammula gave me lot of freedom and ask me to imagine myself to be the character. I got involved in it and gave the best. This is my 3rd consecutive Nandi award. I got it as dubbing artist for Jayam in 2002. For 2003, I got best female playback singer for Telugu pata in Athade Oka Sainyam. More than the Nandi award, I got a best compliment from somebody that goes like 'Nuvvu Anand lanti manchi coffee ki suger add chesavu". I feel really glad and I would like to thank everybody.

MD Abdul: (Best film critic) - my career goal

It was my career goal to win Nandi award. I applied for the award for the first time and won it. I would like to sincerely thank my editor MVR Sastry for his continuous encouragement in writing good articles. (MD Abdul worked for Vennela section of Andhra Bhoomi news paper)

Nandi awards coverate at idlebrain.com

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