City-based Gollapudi Srinivas Memorial Foundation on Monday announced that Marathi film director Paresh Mokashi has been selected as "Best Debut Director" for its annual award named after late director Gollapudi Srinivas.
He has been awarded for his debut work Harish Chandrachi Factory,
a release from the foundation said adding the film made it to the top among 19 nominations from different languages like Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi, a release here said.
"A period film, Harishchandrachi Factory depicts the urge, vision and travails of the father of Indian cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke in making the first ever film in India, "Raja Harishchandra. The interpretation of the legends life was portrayed in a poignant and authentic style, it said.
A jury, consisting of noted director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao,Kalyana Raman and Gollapudi Maruthi Rao, selected Mokashi, who has been associated with theatre for the past two decades, for the award.
He was part of the mainstream Marathi drama as well as Grips (Berlin) and Theatre Academy co-production for children. The award will comprise cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh and a memento, which will be presented to him at a function in Chennai on August 12.
Previous winners of the award include Bollywood star Aamir Khan for his directorial debut 'Taare Zameen Par,' which portrayed the story of a dyslexic child and Rajesh Domalapalli for 'Vanaja' in 2005, the release said.