The nominations for the IFFA awards 2009, were announced and Madhur Bhandarkar was not pleased, though he was being nominated for the Best Director for Fashion. Yet, the film has not found a place in the Best Picture category, while all the other directors were nominated had their films in the best pictures category as well. Fashion had four nominations in all- Best Lead Actor [female],Best Supporting Actor [female] and Best Story.
Madhur was recently quoted as saying, ” They’ve done this to me before, ” and there were reports he was miffed with the jury’s decision. ” miffed nahi re baba, par lagta hai na Why. “I’m forced to think about it when people say, ‘ Arre, Madhur got three national awards, but why was he deprived of popular awards? I’m neither hurt nor amused. I’ve been going to the IFFA since I made Chandini Bar and I accept the jury’s decision. But I don’t know what their parameters are,” says Madhur, whose upcoming film Jail, will be promoted at the festival.
Does he think his film needs more research to fit the bill? ” I guess the popular awards need more research,” smiles Madhur, adding, ” Just kidding, but I can’t really say that I get snubbed at these popular awards, because from Chandini Bar to Fashion, all my protagonists have been recognised. Tabu has won at the IFFA and Bipasha Basu also bagged an award at the Global Indian Film Awards [GIFA] for Corporate. when they win, its like the film won.” Madhur who himself won the award for the Best Story for Chandini Bar, says his film making formula is not to be blamed either.
” My movies have been a combination of realism and fiction and will remain that way, I will not change them for awards. I am content and my audinece is satisfied. I would still say that I don’t make films for awards,” he stresses. What about politics at work? ” I’m not from the film fraternity, so I do not know what is the andar ki baat, neither do I have the time to find out. No matter what happens to my film or nominations, I will still be a sport and cheer the other directors,” says Madhur, who is keeping his fingers crossed so that Jail doesn’t meet the same fate as his other films. ” My film gets National Awards, I just hope that like all my othre protagonists, Neil also gets the National award for jail, the rest will be a bonus,” he hopes.