Both veteran actors, Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi, used their time on stage after getting special lifetime achievement awards to clearly ask for “no more Tollywood, Bollywood,” but one single name for all of Indian film.
Ceremony highlights and special honors
The awards themselves brought back a cultural institution for the state and celebrated accomplishments from the past. Kamal Haasan got the Paidi Jairaj Film Award, and Chiranjeevi received the NTR National Film Award from the Telangana government, and both of them said the ceremony was valuable for keeping the history of film alive and celebrating artists who take risks.
Jayasudha was awarded the Akkineni Nageswara Rao Film Award for being the best actress, Singeetham Srinivasa Rao (the award was accepted for him by Kamal Haasan) won the B N Reddy Film Award for directing in Telugu, Akkineni Naga Chaitanya was named Best Leading Actor, and Rashmika Mandanna took home the Best Leading Actress award.
Kamal Haasan calls for one Indian cinema
Kamal Haasan, after getting his Paidi Jairaj Award, talked about the idea both personally and for the country as a whole. He playfully said Chiranjeevi is older than him in politics, but a less skilled actor, and then asked the chief minister to think about using one national name for all films.
Kamal Haasan used X (formerly Twitter) to thank the Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, and Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, for restarting the awards. He said bringing the awards back isn’t just a nice thing to happen, but it shows how important these kinds of events are for appreciating artistic bravery, cultural memory, and what people are saying in their films.Chiranjeevi pitches Hyderabad as a film hub
Chiranjeevi took the idea further, saying Hyderabad should be a place where all of Indian cinema and even filmmaking for the whole world happens. He mentioned K-pop and anime as examples of how a country’s culture can really help its economy and how much the world thinks of it.
He said the government and people in the film business should see film as a way to help the economy grow, bring in tourists, and increase the country’s influence. He also thought that states nearby Telangana might do what Telangana did and give awards for artistic value.
Winners, industry context, and the night’s resonance
The awards didn’t just focus on famous people, but also on the directors and producers who made regional films what they are. Producer Ashwini Dutt was specially recognized, which shows the awards included both awards for a lifetime of work and yearly awards. The event also showed that older actors who began in the 1970s are still very important.
Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi are more than just stars; they’ve been in films for a long time through many changes in language, how films get to people, and what people want to watch. Between their two careers they have 100 years of film experience, and because of this, their request for togetherness carries a lot of respect.
Implications for policy, industry, and cultural branding
Trying to make all film industries one identity affects government, the economy, and how films are sold. If all the different regional industries are called ‘Indian cinema’ it would be easier to reach people in other countries and create a stronger national image for film festivals, films made together by different countries, and places to film. Hyderabad already has lots of different film production going on and could offer financial benefits to get more international films made there.
The Gaddar Film Awards and awards like them show how a state can keep cultural history alive and help the film industry grow. If leaders treat film as part of their plans, and not just as entertainment, the industry can add more to the country’s wealth, the number of tourists, and the country’s influence in the world.
Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi both left the stage saying the same thing: get rid of the barriers between the film industries in each region and allow for a single Indian cinema that looks outward to the world. What they said may now start discussions between those who make government rules, producers, and city planners as the film industry plans what it will do next.
