Veteran actor of the Chhattisgarhi film industry Shiv Kumar Deepak has lamented that the Government has chosen a ‘newbie’ instead of him for the country’s prestigious Padma Shri award.
“The Chhollywood actors were not given any kind of awards from the Government in all these years. And now when they have taken a step forward in this direction, newbie Anuj Sharma has been picked before me,” said the 85-year-old actor told mediapersons here. Several other actors and directors of the Chhattisgarhi film industry have also voiced their support for Deepak.
The actor, who has a career span of nearly 50 years, also alleged that actor Anuj Sharma has been chosen for the prestigious Padma Shri award because he has close ties with Chief Minister Raman Singh. It may be noted that Anuj Sharma, who shot to fame with the movie ‘Mor Chaiyaa Bhuiyaa’, has been in the Chhollywood industry for the past 13 years.
Comparing other States, the 85-year-old actor said that unlike Governments in other States like West Bengal, Maharashra, Kerala etc the Government of Chhattisgarh has not supported the local film industry as it should have. “It is not only about me but there are several other veteran actors in the State who have contributed manifolds as compared to Anuj,” Deepak said.
Supporting the senior actor, Chhollywood actor Karan Khan said, “I am not saying that Anuj Sharma must not be awarded with Padma Shri. But it is appalling to see Government’s apathy towards an actor who has dedicated 50 years of his life to this profession.” Raising a finger at the administration, another Chhollywood actor Sunil Tiwari said, “On what basis does the Culture Department scrutinise the applications for the awardIJ There is not transparency.”
From the first Chhattisgarhi movie ‘Kahi debe Sandes’ made in 1965, Deepak has worked in over 150 Chhattisgarhi movies. Famous for his comic timings, he has also entertained the audience with his plays and folk performances. Besides Chhattisgarhi movies, Deepak has also acted in Bhojpuri, Malvi and Afghani movies.