Filmfcuk awards

[rant]Alrit, this is gonna be a rant, if the tag wasnt clear enough. That Filmfare Awards are a big joke is no secret, it has been that way for years. In fact, they make this extra effort each year to ensure that everyone who attends returns home happily with a smile on their face and the black lady in their grasp, deserving or undeserving. Then why am I spending so much time talking about these awards if they are so obviously shitty?? The reason is in the last couple of years, it so appeared that the world of Bollywood was changing, people had begun to take note of good movies and real talent and had even started acknowledging them. This was definitely a step in the right direction. I mean any jury that has previously recognized screenplays of movies like Pardes and Kaho Na Pyaar Hai as best screenplays of that year had definitely grown up to acknowledge that Life In A Metro had a better script than Chak De India or Mumbai Meri Jaan was much better written than Fashion or Race! It seemed the jury finally had some sensible people in the team who could understand what the words story or screenplay mean and hence could judge better. But then, looks like the sanity reserved for the finer awards like story, screenplay, background score and cinematography, to name a few, is conveniently dumped when it comes to the popular awards - the ones that create the biggest buzz in the media, and in a sense the ones that matter the most - Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. And this is precisely where Filmfare continues to be Filmunfair. 

Sample this : In the last 15 times out of 20, and in the last 9 times out of 10, the Best Actor trophy has gone to either Big B, SRK or Hrithik! One might argue they are brilliant and consistently come up with great performances, but before we jump the gun, lets take a look at which movies they got these trophies for and who did they "defeat" in the process.

Year 1998 : SRK won the trophy for Dil To Pagal Hai, a movie I love immensely btw, beating Anil Kapoor (Virasat) and Kamal Haasan (Chachi 420) in the process. Agreed, he was good, but was he better than Anil Kapoor? Probably not.

Year 1999 : SRK won again for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a contrived and manipulative film, which was very enjoyable and a lot of fun. But his Rahul act was defintely not better than what Ajay Devgan did in Zakhm or what Aamir Khan managed in Ghulam.

Year 2001 : Hrithik bagged both, the Best Debut and Best Actor for a swashbuckling performance in Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. He was superb and fresh, and it was ages since someone had had such a smashing debut, but was he better than Anil Kapoor in Pukar? Definitely not!

Year 2007 : Hrithik for Dhoom 2?? Really?? In a year that had Aamir Khan for RDB and  Sanjay Dutt for Lage Raho Munnabhai amongst the nominees?? Need I say anything else?

Year 2009 : Hrithik for Jodhaa Akbar. Better than Nasseeruddin Shah in A Wednesday? No way!

Year 2010 : Big B for Paa. Now I know it was an impossible role and he did a great job, but I wouldnt put him above Shahid Kapoor's brilliance in Kaminey, or even above Ranbir Kapoor's heartfelt honest performance in Wake Up Sid. I mean, Wake Up Filmfare!

Year 2011 : SRK for that hammy autistic character he botched up in My Name Is Khan?? Better than Ranbir Kapoor's silent killer performance in Raajneeti? Better than Ajay Devgan's cool as a cucumber job in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai? Better than Hrithik's sensitive, albeit slightly over-the-top portrayal in Guzaarish? And better than Salman Khan's lovable lunatic Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg?? Abso-fucking-lutely NO WAY!

The case for Best Actress is dicier since there are very few really good female roles in a year and even fewer good performances. But this year, both Vidya Balan for Ishqiya and Anushka Sharma for Band Baaja Baaraat were definitely better than Kajol. And dont even get me started on Best Director. Karan Johar for MNIK!! Above the directors of Udaan, Guzaarish, Peepli Live, Band Baaja Baaraat, even Dabangg? What the major fuck man!

I know most of these awards are decided by popular vote, but I cant help feeling the votes are rigged! Performances aside, there's no way SRK's act in MNIK was more popular than Sallu's Chulbul Pandey. And there's no way Karan Johar was a popular choice for director of the year! And finally, you know the award function is rigged when Kareena Kapoor wins for an atrocious monstrosity like We Are Family!! I rest my case[/rant]