Pune International Film Festival: Rajdutt bags award for outstanding contribution to Indian cinema

The ceremony also witnessed other awards including the PIFF Special Award to young filmmaker Malayaj Awasthi.

Veteran Marathi film director Rajdutt was awarded the distinguished award for outstanding contribution to Indian cinema at the concluding ceremony of the 16th Pune International Film Festival on Thursday.

(From left) Nitin Gadre, chief secretary, Tourism and Culture department of government of Maharashtra; Rajdutt and Jabbar Patel, director, PIFF, at the felicitation ceremony. (HT PHOTO)

The eight-day long fest ended with the award and felicitation ceremony.

“I consider this award not only as an international feat, but also as an award from the audience. The audience has awarded me once again and I am happy about it,” Rajdutt said while accepting the award.

The veteran director added that his path to film-making was shaped by the legendary director Rajabhau Paranjape. “Paranjape’s film ‘Oun Paus’ (1954) made me realise that film is a powerful medium and that I could use it to spread awareness about many issues,” Rajdutt added.

The director said that the film industry has changed quite a lot with time and that the industry had pushed him away gradually. “However, this award has given me a new energy and happiness,” Rajdutt said.

The ceremony also witnessed other awards including the PIFF Special Award to young filmmaker Malayaj Awasthi. Jabbar Patel, festival director, said, “This award was initiated by Maria , a Polish director who, six years ago, allotted her prize money to the best student film-maker from the Film and Television Institute of India.”