Kannada cinema bagged four awards at the 69th National Film Awards. Rakshit Shetty’s 777 Charlie, directed by debutant Kiranraj K., was adjudged the best Kannada film.
“Words cannot justify the happiness and delight this news has delivered. While I am ecstatic and overwhelmed, I am also feeling humbled and grateful,” Rakshit wrote on Twitter. 777 Charlie follows the journey of a lonely factory worker and a labrador dog. The film, released in multiple languages on June 10, 2022, went on to collect more than ₹100 crore at the box office.
Subramnaya Badoor and Aniruddha Jatkar won Special Mention honours. The former, a senior film writer, was recognised in the Best Film Critic category, and the latter received the mention for his documentary Baale Bangara. The documentary is on Bharathi Vishnuvardhan, and it chronicles the life of the famous Kannada star, who also dazzled on screen in other languages.
Director Jacob Varghese, known for his Kannada social dramas such as Puneeth Rajkumar’s Prithvi and Chambal, won the award for the best exploration adventure film for Ayushman, a sports-themed movie.
