Director Hansal Mehta is disappointed that Aligarh did not win any of the prizes it was nominated for in the 64th National Film Awards.
In a long message sent via Twitter, Hansal Mehta said while he is disappointed that Aligarh did not win any award, he hopes the film’s story inspires more support for LGBTQI activism in India, and more love for queer persons.
Am getting calls asking me if Aligarh was entered for the National Awards and if i was disappointed with the.. pic.twitter.com/93cw80iv7b
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) April 7, 2017
A critically-acclaimed film, it is based on the true-life incident of Prof. Sriniwas Ramchandra Siras, a professor of Marathi at the Aligarh Muslim University. He was suspended from the university for his sexual orientation, and his chair – as the head of Modern Languages – was taken away from him.
Recommended
Starring Manoj Bajpayee as the professor, and Rajkummar Rao as a journalist who narrates the story, the film had its first premier at the 20th Busan International Film Festival. It received a standing ovation there, and went on to release to critical acclaim around the world. Manoj Bajpayee won a Filmfare Critics Award for his role as Prof. Siras.
Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar won Best Actor Award for Rustom. Read the Silverscreen report of the National Film Awards for other winners.
Pic: Hindustan Times