Samaantharangal did not get best feature film award owing to foul play: Balachandra Menon

Actor and director Balachandra Menon has alleged that he lost out on the best feature film and best director awards at the 45th National Film Awards in 1997 owing to foul play in the jury that included a Keralite.

Addressing mediapersons here on completing 50 years in the entertainment industry, Mr. Menon, while recalling the ups and downs in the industry, said the incident was something he had not forgotten.

To substantiate his allegation, Mr. Menon played a video clip in which a member of the jury for the national awards is seen remarking that after viewing all the films, the jury had nearly decided that Samaantharangal directed by Mr. Menon would be given the award for the best feature film and Mr. Menon the awards for the best director and best actor. At this juncture, some foul play occurred which left the jury member shocked.

Mr. Menon said jury member Devendra Khandelwal had disclosed this when Mr. Menon had gone to New Delhi to receive the national award. Mr. Khandelwal reportedly told Mr. Menon that he wanted to unburden himself.

In the end, Samaantharangal won the award for the ‘Best film on family welfare’ and Mr. Menon shared the best actor award with Suresh Gopi.

Bitter and sweet

Mr. Menon felt that he had both bitter and sweet experiences in his long career, but bitter experiences were more in number. “I have many grievances. I have been harmed by many and still continue to do so.”

He spoke on many subjects, right from seeing actor Prem Nazir when he was in grade 8 to how the titles for his films came about.

Congress leader K. Karunakaran had encouraged him to join politics the most. “He invited me to contest from Thiruvananthapuram. But I declined respectfully. There have been invitations from the Congress later too. But I did not accept for the sake of peace of mind and keeping my conscience clear.”