Jammu & Kashmir: This National Film Awards 2019 Winner May Have Not Gotten the Good News Thanks to Information Lockdown
8-year-old Talha Arshad Reshi was one of the winners for the Best Child Artist for Hamid, sharing the award with three others - Sameep Singh for Harjeeta, Shrinivas Pokale for Naal and PV Rohith for Ondalla Eradalla.
The National Films Awards 2019 was announced on August 9, 2019, that left the Indian movie astonished and shocked with its surprise winners and annoying snubs. Among the winners was this little boy, 8-year-old Talha Arshad Reshi. He was one of the winners for the Best Child Artist for Hamid, sharing the award with three others - Sameep Singh for Harjeeta, Shrinivas Pokale for Naal and PV Rohith for Ondalla Eradalla. The only little niggle is that three days after the win, Reshi might haven't got the news of his win. National Film Awards 2019 Complete Winners List: Bollywood's Andhadhun, Padmaavat and Uri Win Big, KGF Bags Best Action.
Little Reshi is a resident of Jammu & Kashmir that is been under an information lockdown following the repealing of Article 370 in the state by the Indian government. It is highly difficult for the citizens in the state, as well as for the outsiders to contact each other, and there is no clear update as to when the lockdown will be taken down. Article 370 Revoked: Police, Law and Order of Jammu & Kashmir Now Under Centre's Jurisdiction, Land Under Elected Govt.
Speaking to IANS, Hamid's director Aijaz Khan had confirmed that he and his team had been trying to get in touch with the young actor and give him the good news. But to no avail. Khan said, "I have been trying to reach Talha, the little boy who played Hamid but I just can’t get through to him or his father’s phone number." Hamid Movie Review: Rasika Dugal’s Affecting Performance Enriches This Moving Tale Set in Strife-Torn Kashmir.
Hamid, interestingly, is set against the backdrop of the turbulence in Kashmir and delves into the lives of locals living there, caught in the crossfire between the army and the militants. Reshi plays Hamid, a young boy, whose father, played by Sumit Kaul, goes missing one night and never returns.
While his mother, played by Rasika Duggal, knocks up every government door to get the whereabouts of her spouse, Hamid tries to find his father in his own ways. This results in an accidental telephonic connection to a disgruntle CRPF soldier, played by Vikas Kumar, whom Hamid mistakes to be God. Hamid is based on a play Phone No 786 by Amin Bhat
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 12, 2019 02:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).