Bengali backs two back-to-back National Awards

It's not only cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee who has won two back-to back National Awards. Documentary filmmaker Ranajit Ray, too, has made Bengal proud.

His docu, Documentation of Clay Image Makers of

Kumartuli

, had received the Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) at the 62nd National Award, and this year, Aoleang, his docu on the head-hunting Konyak tribe of

Nagaland

has bagged the Rajat Kamal for the Best Anthropological Ethnographic film. When asked about his feelings, he said, ���Nothing special. I did my job and the jury thought it was worthy of the award."

Speaking about his documentary, he said, ���Aoleang is the most important traditional harvest festival of the Konyak Nagas and is celebrated in April. The whole village comes out dressed in its traditional finery with elaborate

headgears

and heavy jewellery and celebrates by dancing and singing that ends in a mega feast. The 30-minute film documents the history of the Konyak tribe, their conversion to Christianity, their loss of traditional culture and resurgence of cultural activities.���