FTII and SPPU students shine at the National Awards

While the Swarna Kamal for the Best Feature Film went to Pune-based filmmakers Sunil Sukthankar and Sumitra Bhave’s 'Kaasav', students from the city’s premiere institutes too had a share in making Pune proud.
FTII student wins Best Cinematography award
Alpesh Nagar, a student of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) won the Best Cinematographer award in the non-feature film category for his work on 'Kalpvriksha'.He shares the award with Vishal Sangwai who has also been recognised for his work on the film Adnyat. Kalpvriksha, directed by Abhijeet Khuman, presents the struggle of a girl who embarks on a journey to find the kalpvriksha – a tree that grants your wishes. Alpesh, who was also awarded at the Pune International Film Festival, says, “When I heard about the award, I thought someone was playing a prank on me. I was in a bad network area and couldn’t confirm the same. But when I did, my joy knew no bounds. The feeling is hard to explain.” In order to do justice to the theme of the film, Alpesh and Abhijeet worked a lot on the visuals. “Since the film is about the girl’s efforts to find peace, we shot at serene surroundings that are untouched by the modern world,” adds Alpesh.

Best Exploration/ Adventure Film award for SPPU student
Another film, 'Matitali Kusti', directed by Prantik Deshmukh from the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), won the National Award for Best Exploration/ Adventure Film. The film revolves around the traditional wrestlers of the city and speaks about the hardships they face in today’s times. “I come from Yavatmal district which has always been in the news for the farmer suicides and agrarian crisis. When I came to Pune, I visited one of the talims and observed that the wrestlers, who practice in the maati (soil) akhadas, face problems too. For me, the maati established a common connection between the farmers from my region and the wrestlers, and I decided to make a film about it,” says the ex-student of the Department of Communication Studies (DCS) at SPPU.
Madhavi Reddy, HoD, DCS and also the producer of the film, adds, “Students of the department have won National Awards in the past but this one is special. It is the first award for a film that has been produced by the department and directed by a student.” 'Matitali Kusti' was Prantik’s final year project film and it has also won the Filmfare award for the Best Short Film in the non-fiction category.