Madhur Bhandarkar says Bipasha Basu deserved National Award for 'Corporate'
What's the story
Acclaimed filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar recently opened up about his film Corporate (2006) not winning any National Awards or Filmfare Awards. The movie, which celebrated its 20th anniversary on July 7, was pitted against Bhandarkar's own drama Traffic Signal (2007) at the National Awards. Despite Corporate's critical acclaim, it lost to Traffic Signal. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Bhandarkar shared that the jury debated between the two films for two to three days before making a decision.
Film competition
Bhandarkar opens up on award disappointments
Bhandarkar revealed, "Corporate and Traffic Signal competed in the same year at the National Awards (though the latter released 7 months later and the next year)!" He added, "And yes, I was a bit disappointed that Corporate didn't win any award." "However, it was heartening to win the Best Director award for Traffic Signal at the National Awards. I guess the reality that Traffic Signal showed about the downtrodden appealed to them more."
Actor's acclaim
Praise for Bipasha Basu
Bhandarkar also praised the lead actor of Corporate, Bipasha Basu. He said, "Bipasha Basu got a lot of applause and love, and she did pick up some awards." "But I feel that had she won the National Award, it would have been so overwhelming for her. I truly feel that this is Bipasha's career-best work."
Jury's dilemma
What the jury told the filmmaker
The filmmaker revealed that many jury members confessed to him that they were torn between awarding him for either Traffic Signal or Corporate. He said, "When I went to receive the National Award, a lot of jury members called me and confessed, 'It took us two to three days to decide whether we should award you for Traffic Signal or Corporate because both films were absolutely brilliant.'" "Ultimately, the majority wins."