Marathi actor Vanmala honoured at IFFI

Her film, Shyamchi Aai, is first winner of the President's gold medal for best feature film.

Ninetytwo-year-old Marathi actress Vanamala expressed her displeasure over physical exposure in the movies saying such an act is against Indian tradition.

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Indian traditional values do not permit such exposure, she said adding "the artists should not propogate violence through movies and instead tell people about non-violance."

Vanamala, who enacted Shyam's mother in first winner of the President's Gold medal for the best feature film Shyamchi Aai, was saluted on Saturday through a special function organised at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

"It is a touching moment for me as I am being honoured for the movie which was shot 50 years back. I am overwhelmed," the veteran actress said. "Conceptualisation and story of the movie has made it immortal," she added.

Shyamchi Aai along with Mirza Galib is selected for the NFA golden jubilee section of IFFI.

Shyamchi Aai is first winner of the President's gold medal for the best feature film of India when the award was instituted in 1953. It was a landmark film based on book written by Sane Guruji, a nationalist and political prisoner.

A highly successful film, it is an evergreen tale of the bond between a mother and a child and a comment on the importance of family.