HC directs complainant against National Film Awards to appear before arbitrator

The HC in its order on January 19, 2023 noted that Padmanabhan had failed to appear before the arbitrator on December 10

NT Correspondent Bureau

The High Court of Karnataka has directed film director Dayal Padmanabhan to appear before the secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, New Delhi, on February 6 at 3 pm. Padmanabhan had filed a challenge to the five national awards bestowed on the Kannada film Nathicharami in 2018.

He contended that the film’s editing studio was Akka Communications Private Limited, in which one of the jury members, BS Lingadevaru, was a director. He claimed that Lingadevaru had not disclosed this “conflict of interest”.

The HC had earlier directed for arbitration but Padmanabhan has contended that the arbitrator in the case, secretary of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is part of the respondent, Directorate of Film Festivals and therefore cannot be arbitrator in the case.

The HC in its order on January 19, 2023 noted that Padmanabhan had failed to appear before the arbitrator on December 10, 2022 and November 8, 2022. It directed him to appear before the arbitrator on February 6 and ordered that “the arbitrator shall consider the application filed at the hands of the petitioner wherein it is contended that the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting being a part of the respondent, cannot sit to decide the same. Orders shall be passed by the Arbitrator on the application, in accordance with law.”

The petition filed by Padmanabhan was disposed of on January 9, 2020 itself. But an application for recall was filed by the Padmanabhan’s advocate GR Mohan stating that the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, has not responded to the commencement of the arbitration proceedings.

With the direction to appear before the arbitration on February 6, the HC has relisted the case for hearing again on February 10, 2023. Nathicharami won five National Film Awards for the year 2018 that include, the Best Kannada Film, Best Female Playback Singer for Bindhu Malini, Best Lyricist Award for Manjunath S (Mansore), Best Editing and a Special Mention Jury Award for Shruthi Hariharan.

While the case continues between Dayal Padmanabhan and The Directorate of Film Festivals, the five awards have been handed over to the winners already