Kids score for Tamil cinema at national awards

CHENNAI: As far as Tamil Nadu goes, children ruled the roost at the 62nd National Film Awards, announced on Tuesday.
'Saivam', the story about a little girl's love for her rooster, bagged 10-year-old Uthara Unnikrishnan the award for best female playback singer, while 'Kaakai Muttai' (meaning Crow's Egg), the story of two little boys from a slum craving for pizza, won its lead actors brothers J Vignesh, 14, and J Ramesh, 12, both from a real-life slum in Kasimedu, the awards for best child artistes.
For Uthara, the win's a double whammy because 20 years ago, her father P Unnikrishnan had won his first National Award for playback singing for his first song (for the film Kaadhalan in 1994).
"The chance to sing in Saivam came by accident," says the 10-year-old, who is a Class 5 student at Lady Andal Venkata Subba Rao School. "I sing at golus and music director G V Prakash, who was composing for Saivam, heard me sing. and told him about me. That was how I got the chance," says Uthara.
Na Muthukumar, who won his second national award in a row for best lyricist, again for Saivam, says both his awards were songs focused on a child's emotions. He won for Thanga Meenkal last year.
While Uthara has been receiving congratulatory messages all day, Unlike Uthara, Vignesh and Ramesh didn't know they had won for Best Child Artistes, until director Manikandan, who won the award for Best Children's Film for 'Kakka Muttai', managed to reach them on their friend's cell phone to tell them of their win.
"I don't think they have understood what the award means. They just went back to playing with their friends," says Manikandan, who adds that he had hand-picked the boys for their roles when he had spotted them in the fishing village when he had gone there for a photo shoot.
Na Muthukumar is one of the most prolific song-writers in Tamil cinema - averaging at 100 a year.
"Last year, I won for a song in Thanga Meenkal, which was about a father and his daughter. This year, it was a little girl and her rooster. Anyway, I am happy because of all the songs I write these are ones I really enjoy writing," says Muthukumar.
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremonies in India.