Tamil Features

61st Filmfare Awards 2016 Winners List: ‘Bajirao Mastani’ Wins 9

By Janani K

Last night was the 61st edition of the Britannia Filmfare Awards. The Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium in Mumbai was all glitz and glamour. With almost all the big Bollywood stars in attendance, the event was a starry affair. The big winners of the night were Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and their film Bajirao Mastani. Here’s a quick look at the winners, the reactions, and the social media response to one of Indian cinema’s biggest events.

Bajirao Mastani : Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani‘s, with its extraordinary visuals and grandeur, swept aside competition to pocket nine awards. Ranveer’s Singh’s portrayal of Peshwa Bajirao earned him the Best Actor award. What of the creator of the masterpiece? Sanjay Leela Bhansali won the Best Director award. The epic historical romance was also awarded the Best Film of 2015. Priyanka Chopra’s portrayal of Kashi Bai won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female). The technical team weren’t far behind in collecting accolades. Stunt choreographer Sham Kaushal, dance choreographer Birju Maharaj, production designers Sujit Sawant, Saloni and Sriram Iyenger, as well as costume designers Anju Modi and Maxima, all won awards in their respective categories.

Piku : Shoojit Sircar’s Piku is about a father-daughter relationship and their contrasting ideologies. Coming second after Bajirao Mastani, Piku grabbed 4 awards, including the Critics Award for Best Film. The film was especially praised for its simplicity and the performances of the lead actors. Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bachchan won the Best Actor (Female) and the Critics Award for Best Actor (Male). Anupam Roy won  under the Best Dialogue category.

Dum Laga Ke Haisha : This story of love blossoming between a school drop-out and a big-sized woman with an advanced degree was considered to have one of the boldest scripts in the industry. Sharat Katariya’s efforts won him 2 awards for the night. Actress Bhumi Pednekar’s impressive debut as Sandhya won her the Best Debutant (Female) award. Cinematographer Manu Anand won the Best Cinematographer award for his cinematic rendition of the script.

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Bajrangi Baijaan : Fans of the film were highly displeased to hear that this Kabir Khan film won only a single award, with Vijayendra Prasad collecting the ‘Best Story’ award. Bajrangi Baijaan is about Pavan (Salman Khan), and how overcomes challenges to help Munni (Harshali) re-unite with her family. Vijayendra Prasad is director SS Rajamouli’s father, and also conceptualised the story for Baahubali. Talvar : Directed by Meghna Gulzar, Talvar is a cinematic interpretation of the murder of teenager Arushi Talvar and her family’s domestic help in Noida in 2008, and the aftermath. This brilliantly made film, which drew comparisons with Rashomon won the award under Best Edit category. Many felt that Irfan Khan’s performance as a CDI detective deserved special mention. Unfortunately, none of the film’s actors won any awards. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQNMsw8Ljjc Tanu Weds Manu Returns : Actress Kangna Ranaut’s double act as Tanu and Kusum was exceptional. She even went to an extent of mastering the Haryanvi language, to deliver an authentic performance as Kusum. Her work in the film won her the Best Actor Female Critics Choice award.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGGmyaurjAI Massan : Debutant director Neeraj Ghaywan won the Best Debutant Director award for his brilliant portrayal of Banaras. The city is infamous for piling up dead bodies and cremating them. Massan is a bold tale about pressing issues revolving around caste and sexual encounters in the city.

Bombay Velvet : Directed and produced by Anurag Kashyap, Bombay Velvet starring Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar, did not do well at the box-office. But, the VFX in this period film was recognised by the Filmfare jury. Prana Studios who handled the VFX, won the award.

Hero : Actor Sooraj Pancholi was in the news regarding the Jiah Khan suicide case. He debuted as an actor in director Nikhil Advani’s Hero and his performance won him the Best Debutant (Male) award. That will be something to smile about for him.

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Janani K is a Alum at Silverscreen India, and can be reached by email at jananik@silverscreen.in