Chilkuri Sushil Rao bags Telangana International Film Festival (TIFF) Special Jury Award for his documentary “India’s GreenHeart Dusharla Satyanarayana”

 

Documentary filmmaker Chilkuri Sushil Rao’s “India’s GreenHeart Dusharla Satyanarayana” has won the Special Jury Award at the Telangana International Film Festival (TIFF) 2022

Documentary filmmaker Chilkuri Sushil Rao’s “India’s GreenHeart Dusharla Satyanarayana” has won the Special Jury Award at the Telangana International Film Festival (TIFF). 

The  awards ceremony held on December 15, 2022 at Prasad Labs preview theatre at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad.

The award was presented to the film maker by noted lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja,  TIFF founder and film director Manjula Surooju, Telangana State Police Academy deputy director R Giridhar, IPS, Murali Dharmapuri of TIFF from Australia and other dignitaries.

The 10-minutes documentary was also screened as part of the awards ceremony. A documentary on bio-degradable carry bags, the technology for which was developed at DRDO was also given the Special Jury Award and presented to scientist K Veera Brahmam.

In all 100 entries were received for the film festival out of which two were selected for the Special Jury Awards and three shorts films for the awards.

“The award is a recognition for the selfless climate activist Dusharla Satyanarayana. The choice of the jury in selecting the film only shows the importance that they have accorded to the idea of preserving nature and environment,” documentary filmmaker Chilkuri Sushil Rao said at the awards function.

“India’s GreenHeart Dusharla Satyanarayana” is about 69-year-old Dusharla Satyanarayana, who created a forest on forest on his 70 acre of ancestral land at Raghavapuram near Suryapet town. He started developing the forest more than six decades ago and preserves it. The nature-lover and environmentalist has taken up many causes in his several decades of public life.

At the awards presentation ceremony, noted lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja while lauded the film festival organiser Manjula Surooju for conducting the festival as a platform to showcase the works of independent film makers in particular.

Suddala Ashok Teja also appreciated Dusharla Satyanarayana for his work on preserving environment. A book titled “Nenu Adavani Matladuthunna” (This is Me, the forest speaking) authored by Suddala Ashok Teja was presented to documentary filmmaker Chilkuri Sushil Rao on the occasion.

The short film “Pullaiss” directed by Shivani Naidu was adjudged best short film. The film is about  a mentally challenged widowed mother and her son and their everyday life.