JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Sooraj Barjatya says he’s ‘not done yet’ as filmmaker wins National Award for Uunchai: ‘I feel I have climbed Mount Everest’
Sooraj Barjatya has expressed his gratitude upon winning the National Film Award for his last directorial Uunchai. The filmmaker also revealed who will he dedicate this award to and it's wholesome.
At the recently held 70th National Film Awards, Sooraj Barjatya won Best Director for his film Uunchai. The filmmaker, in an official statement, shared his deep gratitude for achieving such a momentous feat. While getting nostalgic about winning his last one, Barjatya shared, "I’m humbled to be honored amongst the best that the country has seen in cinema during 2022.”
“It takes me back 30 years when Hum Aapke Hain Koun won the National Award for Best Film. The rush and happiness that I felt as a young director then was crazy!” Mr. Sooraj said, adding that with his current feat, he only feels a certain sense of ‘gratitude and calmness’.
According to the seasoned filmmaker, joy and happiness are much more internal today and he has considered storytelling as his prime job for the last 35 years. “And I'm not done yet; there's much more to come... I feel I have truly climbed Mount Everest today,” Barjatya asserted. Unnchai also got Neena Gupta her National Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The adventure drama film starred Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, and Danny Denzongpa in the lead roles and revolved around four aging friends planning to scale Mt. Everest. The movie marked Sooraj Barjatya’s return to the big screen after 7 years since he last directed Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.
In his statement, Barjatya further thanked his team of senior actors and technicians, who bravely shot the movie during the pandemic and that too at some unheard locations. The Vivah director added, “Our National Film Awards unite our industry because they are a celebration of films made in every language.”
The filmmaker further dedicated his National Award to Rajshri Productions and to all the elders of his family, as Uunchai was made during the 75th year of his production house’s formation. The iconic Rajshri Productions was established by Sooraj’s late grandfather, Tarachand Barjatya, on August 15, 1947.
Uunchai, released in 2022, was based on an original story by Sunil Gandhi and was Rajshri’s 60th film. Also featuring Sarika, Nafisa Ali Sodhi, and Parineeti Chopra in key roles, you can watch this film on Zee 5.
Latest Articles
