Bengaluru: In a huge embarrassment for the state government and the Kannada film industry, the High Court has stepped in and directed that the state film awards announced for the year 2010-11 be withdrawn, after it was found that the award selection advisory committee made a mistake during the selection process.
The court passed the direction after the Information Department director Vishu Kumar admitted before the court that there have been errors during the selection process for the film awards.
While saving the state government and Sandalwood form further embarrassment, the High Court has orally directed them to withdraw the awards announced for the said period, if failed it would pass appropriate orders taking the submission placed before it.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy has given the state an option to withdraw the awards or it may pass orders, after which it would be compelled to do so. However, sources in the film industry reveal that the state could withdraw the order from saving itself from further embarrassment.
Actress cum director Priya Hassan of Bindas Hudugi fame and another leading Kannada film producer had earlier questioned the final selection list of the state feature films award selection advisory committee for the year 2010-2011 in the High Court.
She contended that on the April 5, 2012 the state feature films award selection advisory committee for the year 2010-2011 selected about 26 feature films for conferring award in various categories in addition to three life time achievement awards for outstanding contribution to the Kannada cinema.
Though her feature titled Bindas Hudugi was unique for the reason that she had rendered the story and the screenplay for the feature film and had also directed, produced and acted in the lead role, her film was not in the list.