Dancer, actress and debutant producer Sandhya Raju is over the moon after her film Natyam won two awards at the 68th National Film Awards, which were announced on Friday.
Sandhya won the award for Best Choreography, and TV Rambabu won the award in the Best Makeup Artist category. An elated Sandhya, who also played the lead role in Natyam, says, “It’s incredible that we have won not one but two awards, competing with artistes across the country. Winning an award for choreography as a classical dancer, something great performers like Saroj Khan and Prabhu Deva have won in the past, is an overwhelming feeling.”
Crediting her director Revanth Korukonda for pushing her to do better, Sandhya says, “Revanth made me believe that I could choreograph the dance numbers for Natyam. In fact, the whole team, which went through sleepless nights to make this product of love, is the reason behind this win. I wish my guru, the late Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam, was here to see this win.”
Sandhya was only 10 when she began training under the Kuchipudi stalwart, soaking in everything she saw around her. “As I walked to class every day, I would see his Padma Bushan certificate and a massive picture of him receiving it. I felt the burden to carry on his legacy.”
The dancer-actress believes that this win will now open doors to more people recognising Kuchipudi as an art form, apart from hopefully finding more women behind-the-scenes when it comes to producing content. “To ensure I make an impact on a national level, much like my guru, has been my life’s purpose. This is a victory for all dancers practising this art form over more popular ones like Bharatnatyam or Odissi. I hope this inspires filmmakers to make films that don’t fit the norm and opens doors in Tollywood for more women behind the camera,” she says, rounding off.
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