Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi on Padma Shri honour: Happy that the government has recognised my hard work

Filmmaker Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who has been conferred the Padma Shri this year, is naturally happy, more so because his hard work has finally been recognised, according to him.

“I always feel that such recognitions give you strength and courage to take up more risky projects. I have been doing historicals, I never thought of pursuing any other thing, but when you are encouraged by your government, you feel that you have to do it more, and create more people in this field,” says the veteran, who is helming Prithviraj with Akshay Kumar in the lead next.

How much importance does he assign to these honours, or has he managed to stay away from that fascination all these years? Dwivedi says, “Initially, that excitement is always there. Once I got the National Film Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration for my film Pinjar (2003), I was happy that I reached there. Now there’s another recognition, I am happy again.”

He says the honour by the government holds more importance than film awards, because they are free from any bias and purely on the basis of merit. “I have been a part of the National Award jury, and by my experience, when you have to make your opening statement, including the Chairman who was Mr JP Dutta at our time, mine was ‘all filmmakers work very hard to achieve excellence. We are here to encourage that excellence, and we are not supposed to take political sides, ideology or stature of filmmaker’. All these national honours are on creative parameters. If someone is excellent, even if it is an absolutely small film, it is recognised,” says the filmmaker.

He has already started receiving calls from his industry peers. Kumar tweeted as well congratulating him, “Heartwarming to see some great names in the #PadmaAwards list. Amazing achievers from Science, Armed Forces, Sports, Industry, Art… And of course my director friend Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi. Super proud”

Dwivedi says his family is very excited at this honour he has been conferred. “My contemporary directors have called me as well to congratulate me,” he signs off.