The short film Madhyanthara received two national awards for direction and editing at the 70th National Film Awards. The 36-minute film was screened for the media on Monday morning at Sri Renukamba Digital Theater.
This impressive short film, written and directed by Dinesh Shenoy, won in the non-feature film category. Director Dinesh Shenoy and editor Suresh Urs were both honored with National Awards for their work.
Former minister, actress, and producer Dr. Jayamala, along with the Chief Minister’s media advisor, Mr. KV Prabhakar, were the chief guests at the special screening.
“I have over twenty-seven years of connection with the film industry, but this story came to life during the pandemic,” said Dinesh Shenoy. “I decided to make this short film first, before venturing into a feature-length film. If the audience responds positively, I plan to expand it into a full-length movie.” The film’s story is set between 1976 and 1985, and its concept was inspired by an interview Shenoy heard with producer Manikchand. During the 1960s, Manikchand explained how he and his friends would pool together 50 paise to watch only the first half or second half of a film, based on the advice of the theater gatekeeper. They would then exchange the storylines and feel content, an arrangement that deeply resonated with Dinesh Shenoy and became the foundation for Madhyanthara.
After watching the film, director Dayal Padmanabhan recommended submitting it to the Panorama section. Another friend advised sending it for National Award consideration if it was censored by December. Following that advice, Madhyanthara went on to win two awards in the Non-Feature category. “I want to thank my entire team. The story spans the period from 1976 to 1985. We shot it on 16mm film, and it took eleven days to complete. I’m now working to bring the same story to the big screen,” said Dinesh Shenoy.
National Award-winning editor Suresh Urs expressed his gratitude, saying, “The support I have received from the media during my fifty-year journey in cinema has been incredible. I thank everyone for their encouragement.”
Dr. Jayamala praised Shenoy, saying, “It’s not easy to tell such a compelling story in such a short time. Dinesh Shenoy has done that, winning a National Award on his first attempt.” She also put forth three requests to KV Prabhakar, urging support for the cinema industry.
Chief Minister’s media advisor KV Prabhakar congratulated the Madhyanthara team and promised to discuss with the Chief Minister ways to address the concerns of the film industry.
Actors Viresh, Nikita, and Ramesh Pandit, who appeared in the short film, also shared their experiences during the event.
