The IIFA Awards event was held in Abu Dhabi last week. Talents and films across languages (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam) were recognized.
It's an open secret that Awards events were marketing gimmicks. Awards go to movies that bring eyeballs and money. This year's event didn't even have a Nominees list mentioned. As per Kannada filmmaker Hemanth M Rao of 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello (Side A and Side B)', he was made to wait till 3 am, only to be told he didn't bag an award.
There is a widespread belief that awards are often given to movies that are commercially successful or have strong promotional campaigns. But disrespecting the film fraternity is not right.
These events go out of their way to please the likes of Mahesh Babu and SS Rajamouli. Had Hemanth been of their stature, he wouldn't have been made to wait for so long even though the organizers knew he hadn't won an award. Filmmakers like Hemanth M Rao have expressed frustration over the lack of communication and transparency, particularly regarding the late announcement of awards. This year's IIFA event has literally brought out its stature in the eyes of movie-lovers.
