Jamshedpur : Pundit Raghunath Academy of Santhali Cinema and Art (RASCA) organised the RASCA Awards to recognise Santhali films talent. The awards function was organised at the Town Hall, Sidhgora today.
About 1500 people especially Santhali film lovers from across the state were here to attend the award function today evening. Santhali litteratuer Digambar Hansda and Biswajeet Roy Choudhary, chief of steel project were the guests on the occasion. The programme started with a floral tribute to Pundit Raghunath Murmu followed by a cultural programme which comprised of a tribal band, Santhali songs, a story recitation and a group dance.
The Sahitya Akademi award winners from Jharkhand were also felicitated by RASCA for promoting Santhali literature among the masses. The awards were selected from among five Santhali films.
The awards were given in 17 categories including best film, best story, best director, actor, male and female playback singer, comedian etc. The entry of the films have been from Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. The winners will get a trophy, a certificate and cash prize.
A five-member jury judged the winners. A three day screening was organised on May 1to May 3 at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. The best film award was given to Jamay Ora Donga Takpar Kiding. The actress and actor award went to Reema Pani and Ravi Hansdah of the same film. The best director award went to Bubu Mardi for Asha Dolan, which also won the special jury award.
Expressing regret that Santali films could not prosper during the last two decades mainly due to lack of financial support, Surya Singh Besra said the state government has adopted “ignorant” approach as far as Santali filmdom and language is concerned.
Besra, who is also the president of the Jharkhand People’s Party (JPP), demanded that the state government should take initiative to set up Jharkhand State Film Development Corporation to promote regional and tribal films in the state.
The day also mark the 109th birth anniversary of Pt Raghunath Murmu, who was the founder of the Ol-chiki script.
