Celebrities from the film industry graced the red carpet, walking amidst hysterical crowds to reach the auditorium of the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards 2022. The year 2022 marked a time of resurrection for the film industry, which had suffered greatly due to the pandemic-induced lockdown. Numerous films were eagerly waiting for theatres to reopen for their releases. On the other hand, the audience was anticipating the quintessential theatrical experience of watching their favourite stars on the big screen. Indeed, 2022 was a time for the industry to reunite with its fans. The Vikatan Awards celebrated the incredible talents that emerged during this period.
Producer Dhananjayan presented the Best Movie award to the team of ‘Natchathiram Nagargirathu’. The executive producer of the movie, Manoj Lionel Jason, received the award on behalf of the team. “Thanks to Vikatan for this prestigious award. It shows that Vikatan recognises and celebrates all types of movies that connect with people. Ranjith couldn’t attend the function as he is busy shooting ‘Thangalaan’,” he said. He also provided some interesting updates about the upcoming Vikram starrer ‘Thangalaan’ much to the delight of the audience.
A.R. Rahman presented the Best Actor award to Kamal Haasan for his performance in the movie ‘Vikram’. Upon receiving the award, Kamal Haasan expressed his gratitude to a long list of actors, including Vikram, Karthi, and Ashok Selvan. He mentioned that all of them who had been nominated for the Best Actor award. “We are all receiving this award. I mentioned the names of my fellow nominees to emphasise that not receiving an award this year does not diminish their talent as actors. The Best Actor award never loses its value. I cherish receiving these acting awards because they motivate me to work harder. Along the way, I have had the opportunity to work with great directors like Lokesh Kanagaraj. I am willing to patiently wait in the award queue for my well-deserved recognition. More than the award itself, I love the applause of the audience. It brings great happiness, a reward for a year’s worth of work. I am grateful for fitting into the scripts of a myriad of directors, from Mani Ratnam to talented youngsters. It is not that I have captured the audience; rather, they have captured me through their love. If the audience had rejected ‘Nayakan,’ for example, what would have become of us? It is the audience who propel us forward,” said Kamal Haasan. He also shared some updates about his upcoming movie, ‘Indian 2’. A.R. Rahman praised Kamal Haasan, stating that he is like a university in himself.
Actor Sivakarthikeyan and Kavitha Ramesh of Kavitha Fertility Center presented the Best Actress award to Sai Pallavi for her performance in ‘Gargi’. “This award is very special to me. It’s my first award in Tamil, and receiving a Vikatan award as my first one makes it even more special. ‘Gargi’ is a very dear movie to me”, said Sai Pallavi in her acceptance speech.
Cinematographer PC Sriram presented the Best Male Playback Singer award to A.R. Rahman for his rendition of the song ‘Marakkuma Nenjam’ in “Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu.” P.C. Sriram said, “Vikatan is always special. Vikatan’s contribution in recognising Tamil Cinema is immense, and it should continue.” Upon receiving the award, A.R. Rahman began by saying, “Ella Pugazhum Iraivanukke” (All glory to God) and called his wife on stage to share the moment. He mentioned that she is a huge fan of his voice and has always wanted his singing to gain more recognition. His wife, Saira Banu, expressed her love for A.R. Rahman’s voice, which received a lot of “awws” from the smitten audience. A.R. Rahman also received the Best Music Director award for the movies ‘Cobra’, ‘Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu’ and ‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’. “My team worked tirelessly for these movies. We had to work during bus travels, in Zoom calls, everywhere. We worked day and night. I would like to thank my team and also my interns. I don’t know how this recognition would have been possible without them,” he said. When the anchors requested him to pose with his two Vikatan awards, reminiscent of the iconic photo with two Oscars, he happily obliged, and the audience gave him a thundering applause.
Veteran director S.P. Muthuraman and Roshan, the director of Sathya Mobiles, presented the Best Supporting Actor award to Kali Venkat for his performance in the movie ‘Gargi’. As he expressed his happiness for the award, he narrated an incident where he was recognised by an airport security officer during travel. He mentioned feeling delighted that the movie had reached a lot of people.
Art Director Thotta Tharani and Jackson of Sathya Agencies presented the Best Supporting Actress award to Geetha Kailasam for her exemplary performance in the movie “Natchathiram Nagargirathu.” She was thrilled to receive the award. “I have been an actor since my 20s, and now in my forties, this is my first award as an actress. I am truly happy. I would like to thank Director Pa. Ranjith,” she said.
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj and Yasko shirts N.N. Ganesan and Vivekanandh Ganesan presented the Best Comedy Actor award to Yogi Babu for his performance in the movie “Love Today.” He called directors Nelson and Madonne Aswin to the stage and shared his happiness with them. “I would like to thank director Sundar C, who has been my support. He has always wanted me to succeed,” said Yogi Babu. The Vikatan team presented him with a painting depicting Yogi Babu as an army person. “My father is in the army, and I have always wanted to be in the army. So, this painting is very special to me. It has come out really well. I am currently acting as an army man in a movie,” he said.
Director Vetrimaran presented the Best Debut Director award to Director Tamizh for the movie ‘Taanakkaaran’. “I have been carrying this script in my head for over ten years after quitting my job in the police department. I would like to thank producer S.R.Prabhu for trusting the story,” Tamizh said. As Tamizh thanked the Vikatan team for the award, Vetrimaaran spoke highly about director Tamizh’s contribution to the world-building of his movie ‘Viduthalai’. “I am very proud that Tamizh has received this recognition for his first film. I am delighted,” he said.
Actor-Director RJ Balaji and Sathish Devadas and Hema Satish of Cureka presented the Best Debut Actor award to Kishen Das for his performance in the movie ‘Mudhal Nee Mudivum Nee’. “In 2010, I received my first Vikatan award. This brings back memories,” said a cheerful RJ Balaji. Kishen Das expressed his happiness and gratitude as he received the award.
Actor Sivakarthikeyan presented the Best Debut Actress award to Aditi Shankar for her performance in the movie ‘Viruman’. She thanked her acting coaches, stylists, and her family as she received the award. She said, “Make your dream a reality because it feels incredible to receive recognition.” Her father, director Shankar, thanked the Vikatan team for recognising her talent. Actor Sivakarthikeyan mentioned that Aditi chooses her movies carefully and acknowledged her potential.
Director Lingusamy presented the Best Villain award to actor Lal for his performance as Eswaramoorthy in the movie ‘Taanakaaran’. The actor talked about his movie experience in his acceptance speech. “I am much happier to receive the award from director Lingusamy, who introduced me to Tamil cinema. I have received many awards in the Malayalam industry, but this is the first time I am being recognised for my work in another language. The shooting for ‘Taanakaaran’ took place in Vellore, and we had to work in searing heat. It was very challenging. The director of ‘Taanakaaran’ helped a lot in shaping up the character. I have a feeling that he does not like his superiors, so he used my character and overworked me to seek revenge,” he said as the audience laughed heartily. “I have a small request for the Vikatan team. The award says ‘Best Villain’ as if saying we are villains. You can call it ‘Best Performance in a Negative Role’ or something,” he added with a grin on his face. Aishwarya Rai was announced as the Best Actress in a Negative Role for her performance in “Ponniyin Selvan 1.”
Cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran presented the Best Cinematography award to Ravi Varman for his exceptional work in “Ponniyin Selvan 1.” He expressed that he shares more of a father-son relationship with Ravi Varman. Upon receiving the award, Ravi Varman expressed his happiness and mentioned that he focuses solely on the frame in front of him, rather than worrying about upcoming scenes, to keep himself stress-free while working.
Veteran director S.P. Muthuraman and Ilango Kumaran of Mark Metro presented the Best Art Director Award to Thotta Dharani for his remarkable work in the movie “Ponniyin Selvan 1.” As he presented the award, S.P. Muthuraman reminisced about Thotta Dharani’s father and his contributions as an art director. He also mentioned that Thotta Dharani’s daughter, Rohini, has entered the art direction scene with great aspirations. Thotta Dharani thanked the jury and the Vikatan group, emphasising that the award was a testament to their hard work.
Director Lingusamy presented the award for Best Dialogue to writer Tamilarasan Pachamuthu for his exceptional work in the movie ‘Nenjukku Neethi’. Tamilarasan explained his process during his acceptance speech, stating, “When the project came to me, I was afraid. But as I started working on it, I felt excited. With scripts like this, we aren’t writing for a fantasy theme; we are writing about our emotions, pain, and everything we feel. That’s what I focused on.”
Actor Kamal Haasan presented the Best Production award to Lyca Productions and Madras Talkies for their outstanding work in the movie “Ponniyin Selvan 1.” The movie is based on the epic Tamil novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy, depicting events leading up to the reign of Raja Raja Chola I.
Subaskaran presented the Best Crew award to the team of “Vikram.” Director Lokesh Kanagaraj, writer Rathna Kumar, editor Philomin Raj, and actors Surya and Naren received the award. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj expressed his joy, stating, “I am extremely happy to receive this award for the crew. Even if I had received the Best Director award, I wouldn’t be as thrilled. I would like to thank everyone, including actors Vijay Sethupathi, Fahad Faasil, stunt choreographer Anbarasu, and music director Anbarasu.” Kamal Haasan mentioned producer Mahendran and praised him, saying he had taken over the role of his brother Chandra Hassan as a producer. Referring to Mahendran as “secret agent Mahendran,” he humorously recreated his famous “Beeda Shot” where he threatens his enemies by mimicking the act of eating an imaginary mouthful of food. He added, “When I do this now, it metaphorically means that cinema is my bread and butter.”
Producer Dhananjayan presented the Best Editor award to Pradeep E Raagav for his exceptional work in the movie “Love Today.” Dhananjayan acknowledged the tough competition for the editor award and congratulated Pradeep on his well-deserved win. Pradeep expressed his gratitude and mentioned that it was his first award. He said, “I never thought that my work in a commercial movie like ‘Love Today’ would win an award. I would like to thank everyone who has been with me throughout this journey.”
Actor Vikram Prabhu presented the Best Screenplay award to writers Hariharan Raju and Gautham Ramachandran for their exceptional work in the movie ‘Gargi’. The soft-spoken duo expressed their profound happiness upon receiving the award.
Actor Naren presented the Best Stunt Choreography award to Dileep Subbarayan for his remarkable work in the movie ‘Valimai’. “This is my fourth Vikatan award. I would like to dedicate this to my fighters. Not many have explored bike stunts in movies, so working with Ajith Kumar in ‘Valimai’ was truly special. He never uses a body double. We had to utilise rig tools to facilitate the stunt scenes on fast-moving bikes. A lot of planning went into shooting these sequences,” he narrated his experience during the filming of ‘Valimai’.
Actor Vinay presented the Best Dance Choreographer award to Choreographer Jani for his outstanding work in the song “Megam Karukkaadha” from ‘Thiruchitrambalam’. “Three things about today are incredibly special to me. Firstly, this award. Secondly, today is my wedding anniversary. Thirdly, it is my daughter’s birthday,” he said. He invited his wife and daughter to the stage, and as the song played in the background, the joyous couple danced, filling the air with romance.
Director Venkat Prabhu presented the Best Lyricist award to poet Vivek for his brilliant songwriting in the movies ‘Gulu Gul'” and ‘Katta Gusthi’ for the songs ‘Anbare’ and ‘Sanda Veerachi’ respectively. Vivek expressed his profound happiness upon receiving the award, stating, “Vikatan’s recognition of songs that are not widely known is truly commendable”.
Poet Thamarai presented the Best Female Playback Singer award to singer Madhushree for her beautiful rendition of the song “Mallippoo” in the movie “Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu”. Madhushree mentioned that Tamil Nadu holds a special place in her heart. Poet Thamarai, who penned the lyrics for the song, explained the hard work that went into its creation. “We spent three long nights perfecting the output. Madhushree had to dedicate two of those days solely to learning the lyrics and pronunciation. The song was recorded three times to finalize the version,” she said.
Director Sasi presented the award for Best Entertaining Film to the team of ‘Love Today’. Producer Archana Kalpathi received the award and expressed her joy, saying, “Like all producers, we also dream of delivering a blockbuster. ‘Love Today’ has made that dream come true. This award is a testament to the entire team’s efforts. Pradeep is not only a fantastic actor but also an excellent director. The film has been a resounding success and is now being remade in Hindi.”
Actor Vimal presented the Best Child Artist award to Hiya Davey for her outstanding performance in the movie “Naane Varuven”. Sathya Agencies honored her with a smartwatch in recognition of her work. She mentioned that it was her first award and delighted the audience by singing a few lines from a song in the movie amidst applause and cheers.
Actress Rohini presented the Best Story award to writer Deepak Muthuvel for his exceptional storytelling in the movie ‘Witness’. Deepak expressed his happiness that ‘Witness’ was celebrated by Vikatan. “This victory gives us hope that if we take a story and present it properly, it will be recognised. We dedicated a lot of time to pre-production. ‘Witness’ is not just a movie; it is a catalyst for conversation in society. I deliberately avoided melodrama while shedding light on the plight of scavengers. It was a conscious choice”, he said.
Costume Designer Anu Vardhan presented the Best Costume Designer award to Eka Lakhani for her outstanding work in “Ponniyin Selvan 1”. She invited her team on stage to receive the award with her and acknowledged Director Mani Ratnam as a great team leader. She humbly mentioned that she had merely executed his vision in the movie. “I personally enjoyed styling the character of Nandhini,” she added.
Actress Ramya Pandian presented the Best Makeup Artist award to Vikram Gaikwad for his amazing work in “Ponniyin Selvan 1”. Upon receiving the award, he expressed great joy in collaborating with Director Mani Ratnam.
Baahubali VFX artist Srinivas Mohan presented the award to Sanjiv Anand Naik and NY VFX Waala for their exceptional work in “Ponniyin Selvan 1”. Upon receiving the award, they mentioned that it was Director Mani Ratnam who inspired them to be a part of the movie.
Director Ezhil presented the Best Web Series award to the team of “Vilangu”. Director Prasanth Pandiyaraj, actors Ravi, Bala Saravanan, and Vimal received the award. Ezhil acknowledged that his first movie was a flop, but ‘Vilangu’ brought them success. He expressed gratitude to Zee5 for trusting the team and emphasised that ‘Vilangu’ was the result of a collaboration between artists who had faced failure. “When Vikatan didn’t even publish a review for my movie, I felt like a student whose favourite teacher was ignoring him. Now, I am overjoyed to receive this award,” he said. Actor Vimal delivered a candid acceptance speech, saying, “It was as if everyone had forgotten my existence in the film industry. ‘Vilangu’ is a rebirth for all of us. I have learned a lot from both my successes and failures.” Actor Bala Saravanan mentioned that the series was significant as it provided him with a character role, while he was widely known as a comedy artist.
Actor Surya and Vivekanandan Ganesan, the managing director of Yasko Shirts, presented the Best Entertainer award to Director Lokesh Kanagaraj. “This award is something new. I have heard of the best director award, but the best entertainer recognition is new to me. As I receive this award, I feel that I have done my job of entertaining properly. Actor Manikandan mentioned that he is the biggest Kamal Haasan fan, but I cannot give up that title. Even if a hundred Manikandans come at me, I would tear off my shirt and fight them,” Lokesh Kanagaraj exclaimed.
The star-studded event was enhanced by scintillating dance performances. As the function came to an end, the audience was filled with immense pride for the Tamil film industry, which continues to reach greater heights with each passing year.