68th National Film Awards: It’s a double bonanza for Avijatrik

Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu) has bagged two awards at the 68th National Film Awards for the year 2020. While Supratim Bhol bagged the Best Cinematography award for the film, Avijatrik (The Wanderlust of Apu) was also declared the Best Bengali Film. “I am pinching myself to believe this news. It’s a double bonanza for the film! Getting the highest accolade from your own motherland – it couldn’t have been better. The film has won more than two dozen awards across the globe, but this is like icing on the cake,” said the film’s director, Subhrajit Mitra.

The news hasn’t yet sunk in for Supratim. “This award is for my parents. The smile and pride which I saw on their faces is beyond words. I feel honoured that I got this prestigious award,” he said.

Arjun Chakrabarty, who plays the pivotal character in this film, is elated. “I am super happy with the news. We had put in a lot of effort for this film and today, it bagged two of the most prestigious awards,” said the actor.

After six decades, the enduring character of Apu (played by Arjun Chakrabarty) returned on the silver screen with this film, which is a sequel to Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy. The story revolves around a sublime bond between a father (Apu) and his six-year-old son (Kajol).

Meanwhile, in the non-feature films section, Three Sisters directed by Putul Rafey Mahmood won the Best Film On Social Issues. Anadi Athaley won the award for Best Editing for Borderlands.