'Byari' director receives top award at the National Film Awards

May 4, 2012

New Delhi, May 4: It was a proud moment for the Mangalore-based film producer Altaf Hussain, who received the Best Feature Film award for his debut production 'Byari' at 59th National Film Awards in New Delhi.

The young producer, who has also doubled up as the lead male character of the movie, received the honours from Vice President Hamid Ansari on Thursday at the awards, which saw regional cinema lord over Bollywood.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, too was present at the occasion. Traditionally, the awards are given out by the President. But Pratibha Patil, whose term is about to end in July, is currently on vacation so Ansari filled in her boots at the Vigyan Bhawan.

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award, highest honour in Indian cinema at the event.

Acclaimed filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli picked his 12th National Film Award at the event for Kurmavatara, adjudged the best Kannada film.

Top honours, including best feature film, best direction and best actor titles, were bagged by regional talents, while Bollywood's bold and beautiful Vidya Balan kept the Hindi film industry in the reckoning by receiving the best actress trophy for The Dirty Picture.

Vidya came on the dais in a rose pink-coloured sari with her hair neatly tied in a bun to receive the award.

The ceremony, hosted by actors Vinay Pathak and Saumya Tandon, witnessed performances by Anand Bhate, who won the best playback singer (male) title for "Balgandharva", and Roopa Ganguly, who won the same award in the female category for the Bengali film "Abosheyshey".

Bollywood composer Amit Trivedi and lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya also took to the stage to perform Agar Zindagi, for which the latter won the best lyricist trophy. The song is from the movie I Am.

The best feature film award was shared by Marathi film Deool and Kannada movie Byari, while the best direction award went to Gurvinder Singh for his Punjabi film Anhe Ghorey Da Daan, which also won the best cinematography title.

Marathi actor Girish Kulkarni came to accept his best actor trophy for his role as a good-hearted simpleton in Deool.

The best supporting actor and actress awards were given to Appu Kutty for Tamil film Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai and Leishangthem Tonthoingambi Devi for Manipuri film Phijigee Mani, respectively.

In the music category, composer Neel Dutt won the best songs award for Bengali rock musical Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbo Na. Mayookh Bhaumik bagged the background score honour for Bengali film Laptop.

Hindi films, though few in the awardees list, made their prominence felt through the presence of its actors and filmmakers at the event. The team of I AM Onir and Sanjay Suri came to collect the award for the film. I AM was named the best Hindi film of the year.

Chillar Party was adjudged the best children's film, and it also received the honour for best original screenplay writer. The 10 child artistes from Chillar Party added innocence and enthusiasm to the event and displayed respect for Ansari as most of them touched his feet before accepting the honour.

Amitabh Bhattacharya won best lyrics for Agar zindagi from I AM, RA.One bagged the award for best special effects and the best choreography was given to Bosco-Caeser for "Senorita" from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

The best costume designer award was shared by Niharika Khan for The Dirty Picture and Neeta Lulla for Marathi film Balgandharva. Another shared award was for the best child artist. It was received jointly by Partho Gupte for Stanley Ka Dabba and by the gang of 10 kids for Chillar Party.

Vikram Gaekwad won the best make-up artist for his work in The Dirty Picture as well as in Bal Gandharva.

All three awards in the best audiography category were picked by Hindi films. The best location sound recordist title went to Beylon Fonseca for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Game was given the honours in the sound designer and re-recordist of the final mixed track categories.

Kumararaja Thiagarajan won the Indira Gandhi Award for best debut film of a director for Aaranyakandam, while the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment went to Tamil film Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai.

Speaking to Coastaldigest.com Altaf expressed his joy over the achievement. "It's really a great honour and I feel immensely happy. But unfortunately, the Byari film winning the national award for best feature film appearst to be no news for Kannada newspapers. While the achievement is being celebrated in a big way in Malayalam circles, the reaction of the Kannada press is rather lacklustre," he said.

"Malayalam papers have carried the pictures of director Suveeran and actress Mallika, who got the jury's special mention, receiving the awards. But not even a single Kannada paper has carried the picture," he said.

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Mangaluru Tees Off Big: Golf Excellence Academy to Open at Pilikula

News Network

February 1,2026

The coastal city of Mangaluru is gearing up for a major sporting milestone with the launch of a Golf Excellence Academy at the Pilikula Golf Club (PGC), scheduled to open on May 31. The initiative aims to position Mangaluru firmly on India’s national golfing map.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during PGC’s first-ever floodlit Pro-Am tournament, club captain Manoj Kumar Shetty said the project is being funded by UAE-based philanthropist Michael D’Souza and is currently in the design phase. Experts from leading golf academies across the country are expected to visit Mangaluru to help shape the training programme and infrastructure.

The academy will train 20 young golfers at a time, with a long-term vision of producing national-level players from the region. Until now, PGC relied on an in-house coach, but the recent renovation of the course and the introduction of floodlights have opened new possibilities for expanding the sport.

Shetty said discussions are underway with two reputed coaching academies, whose heads are expected to visit PGC shortly. “A dormitory for trainers is already under construction. We are inviting academies to assess the facilities and suggest changes so we can build a truly world-class Golf Excellence Academy,” he said.

Professional golfer Aryan Roopa Anand noted that the floodlit course would be a game-changer for young players. “Students can now practise after school hours, even up to 8 or 9 pm, without compromising on academics,” he said.

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HC refuses to quash probe against Mangaluru WhatsApp admin over offensive posts

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash an investigation against a WhatsApp group administrator accused of allowing the circulation of obscene and offensive images depicting Hindutva politicians and idols in 2021.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that, prima facie, the ingredients of the offence under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code were made out. “The offence under Section 295A of the IPC is met to every word of its ingredient, albeit prima facie,” the judge said.

The petitioner, Sirajuddin, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had challenged the FIR registered against him at the CEN (Cyber, Economics and Narcotics) police station, Mangaluru, for offences under Section 295A of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Section 295A relates to punishment for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

According to the complaint filed by K Jayaraj Salian, also a resident of Belthangady taluk, he received a WhatsApp group link from an unknown source and was added to the group after accessing it. The group reportedly had six administrators and around 250 participants, where obscene and offensive images depicting Hindu deities and certain political figures were allegedly circulated repeatedly.

Sirajuddin was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail on February 16, 2021. He argued before the court that he was being selectively targeted, while other administrators—including the creator of the group—were neither arrested nor investigated. He also contended that the Magistrate could not have taken cognisance of the offence under Section 295A without prior sanction under Section 196(1) of the CrPC.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nagaprasanna held that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance, and not at the stage of registration of the crime or during investigation.

The judge noted that the State had produced the entire investigation material before the court. “A perusal of the material reveals depictions of Hindu deities in an extraordinarily obscene, demeaning and profane manner. The content is such that its reproduction in a judicial order would itself be inappropriate,” the court said, adding that the material, on its face, had the tendency to outrage religious feelings and disturb communal harmony.

Observing that the case was still at the investigation stage, the court said it could not interdict the probe at this juncture. However, it expressed concern that the investigating officer appeared to have not proceeded uniformly against all administrators. The court clarified that if the investigation revealed the active involvement of any member in permitting the circulation of such content, they must also be proceeded against.

“At this investigative stage, any further observation by this Court would be unnecessary,” the order concluded.

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