72nd National Film awards ceremony - Venue : Ekta Nagar Gujarat.

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https://www.aninews.in/news/entertainment/bollywood/grateful-to-be-a-part-of-these-awards-randeep-hooda-arrives-in-gujarat-for-national-film-awards16020260921234417/

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As I see it, the choice of venue for the awards ceremony has little to do with the Indian film industry itself, but rather with political considerations.

1. In recent years, the area surrounding the Statue of Unity-currently the world's tallest statue-has been massively developed into an international tourism and conference hub. Imo, the ceremony serves as a showcase for the country's modern infrastructure (regardless of how dilapidated it may be elsewhere).

2. The "Statue of Unity"-commemorating a unity that has not actually existed for eight decades-depicts a man who dedicated his talents to a united India; yet, his legacy is effectively being "usurped" by the current government, especially considering that not only Modi but also Amit Shah, Adani, and Ambani hail from Gujarat.

3. I see a recurrence of a "class conflict" that has shaped-and continues to shape-India's destiny, and to me, it is a deeply sobering realization how the echoes of history repeat themselves. In 1947, the foundational rift was between Jawaharlal Nehru, the sophisticated, Western-educated aristocrat, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the pragmatic, iron-willed son of a farmer. Both belonged to the very same Congress Party, yet they envisioned entirely different futures for the new nation: The PM Nehru dreamed of a secular, socialist, and industrialized state, while the Deputy PM and Interior Minister Patel championed a conservative, pragmatic economy rooted in realism and military support. Fast forwarding to the present times, and it seems that the very same psychological and social warfare is being waged: a leader from an 'underclass' background fighting a battle against a Western-educated dynastic heir.

4. In the imposing presence of Patel, a film centering on the Kashmir conflict is being honored. When Pakistan launched military operations to annex Jammu and Kashmir, Nehru turned to the UN to protest (which - unfortunately - subsequently resulted in the border that still exists today), whereas Patel wanted to push the Indian military counter-operation until the Pakistani army had been completely driven back and the whole of Kashmir belonged to India.

The choice of location is definitely a political move... cloaked as 'a tribute to and a way of showcasing the linguistic, cultural, and cinematic diversity of the entire country'. T h a t is something that could be done either still in Delhi or in one of the other major film hubs...

Kartik Aaryan received national award for Chandu Champion

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Kartik Aaryan video receiving the award

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