Elizabeth Ekadashi and Killa win best Marathi film awards

Pune: The recent upsurge of quality films in Marathi was evident in the fact that the jury of the 13th Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) could not settle on one winner in the Marathi competition section, with the award for best film being shared by Elizabeth Ekadashi and Killa. Cuban film Conducta (Behaviour) bagged the best film award in the world competition section when the results were announced on Thursday.
“This year the Marathi films were truly fascinating and interesting,” said Marco Simon Puccioni, Italian director, screenwriter and professor who was on the jury.
None of the seven films in the Marathi competition section went home empty handed with Dr. Prakash Baba Amte and Yellow receiving a special jury mention.
The award for best direction went to Bhaurao Karhade, the director of Khwada. Usha Naik won the award for the best acting performance for Ek Hazarachi Note, which also picked up an award for the best screenplay for Shrikant Bojewar.
Elizabeth Ekadashi also won an award for its cinematographer Amol Gole. The audience award for best Marathi film went to Salaam.
“The last two years has been a turning point for Marathi cinema and I think it is at an evolving stage. What has propelled the critical and commercial success of films is that young filmmakers and writers are waiting to tell their stories,” said Nikhil Sane, one of the producers of Elizabeth Ekadashi.
In the world competition section, the top honour went to Cuban film Conducta (Behaviour), the story of an 11-year-old boy who gets the support and love that he does not have at home from his teacher, but things fall apart when he is sent off to a school for children with behavioural problems.
The award for best director was shared between Zdenìk Tyc for Jako Nikdy (Like Never Before) and Alexander Kott for Test. The audience award for best film in world competition section also went to Test.
Anandji Shah, of the music duo Kalyanji–Anandji, was given the S D Burman International Award for creative sound and music. While minister for cultural affairs Vinod Tawde was full of praise for the organizers, he had one criticism. The minister was quick to point out that the audio-visual presentation in tribute to Anandji Shah included a song that had not been composed by the duo but by Bappi Lahiri.