71st National Film Awards: Kandeelu adjudged Best Kannada film of 2023; yet to get theatrical release

Kannada cinema came cropper at the 71st National Film Awards for 2023, winning only two awards. The first one went to Chidanand Naik, for Best Script in the Non-Feature category, for his short film, Sunflowers were the first ones to know. In the feature film category, the Best Kannada film was Kandeelu, directed by Yashoda Prakash and starring Prabhakar Kunder in the lead.

When Ashutosh Gowariker announced the film as winner, netizens were taken by surprised, as they’d not heard of Yashoda’s film earlier. Although Kandeelu had done the film festival circuit and even won a few awards, including 2nd Best Kannada film at the 15thBengaluru International Film Festival, it is yet to get a theatrical outing.

Meanwhile, according to the official synopsis, Kandeelu is about Seeba, a poor farmer, who dreams of owning a farm and a house for his family but struggles to make ends meet. He sends his son abroad with hope of fulfilling his dream, but is shattered when the son tragically dies abroad. Determined to perform his son’s last rites and bring his mortal remains back home, Seeba, along with his wife and daughter, exhausts all possible options.

And to his dismay, those he looked up to, turn a blind eye to his plight. As the village festival approaches, Seeba, who is a custodian of a specific ritual, is torn between conflicting emotions of duty and sorrow. The movie revolves around socio-political issues faced by vulnerable, the conflict between heart and mind, and the healing power of nature’s love. The film also stars Eeramanda Kushi Kaveramma, Vanitha Rajesh and Guru Tejaswi L Shetty.

At the 70th National Film Awards, Kannada fared a lot better when Rishab Shetty won Best Actor for his hit film Kantara, which was also adjudged Best Popular Film. Rocking Star Yash’s KGF: Chapter 2 took home the Best Kannada Film title.