Telangana government yet to decide on new name for film awards

HYDERABAD: What would be the name of the official film awards of the state of Telangana?
It’s more or less certain that Nandi award, given to film personalities in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, would have a new name and trophy. The state now awaits a meeting between the cinematography minister and Telangana Film Directors Association (TFDA) for a final decision on the issue.
The TFDA reportedly had an informal discussion with senior functionaries of the state government and suggested ‘Koh-i-Noor’ as one of the possible names for the award.
‘Koh-i-Noor’, the famed diamond was mined in the Golconda kingdom during the time of the Kakatiyas. Currently, the diamond is part of the British crown jewels.
The Telangana government is not in favour of continuing with the old name as the logo ‘Nandi’ has been derived from the famous bull found in Anantapur district, which is now part of Andhra Pradesh. Another name suggested by the film industry is ‘Kakatiya’ award. The Kakatiya arch has already been included in the state emblem.
However, even the ‘Koh-i-Noor’ diamond was mined in the Kollur mines in the districts of Guntur and Krishna, which are now a part of Andhra Pradesh. The diamond was mined during the Kakatiyas who ruled from Warangal, which is now a part of Telangana.
“No serious thought has been given to the name of the film award but a meeting would take place in due course of time,” an official said.
TFDA president Allani Sridhar said that the association would give its suggestions on the matter at a formal meeting with the cinematography minister scheduled to held soon. The meeting may also be attended by chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao.