Syed Sultan Ahmed wins seventh National Award

For Syed Sultan Ahmed, last Monday was special, as he won his seventh National Award. This time, it’s for the Best Educational Film for short film

Apples and Oranges

, which has been directed by Rukshana Tabassum. He received the honour from vice-president

M Venkaiah Naidu

.

“It is such an honour to receive the highest recognition given to a filmmaker for the seventh time. I feel a greater sense of responsibility as a filmmaker and I will strive to make better films for a better society. I am glad that the

Directorate of Film Festivals

decided to hold a physical ceremony and honour the film fraternity. After all the lockdowns and a literal pause for the film industry, this event marks a restart and a new beginning,” shares Sultan.

The film tries to address the issue of diversity and differences that exist in society. “It is set in a fantastical country,

Fruitistan

, where the people are divided - not so different from the world we live in. In this land where people who eat apples and those who eat oranges don’t get along and don’t make friends with each other, Tulip and Daisy, two young girls, become friends. Their friendship soon turns sour when they discover that one of them is an ‘Appler’ and the other an ‘Orangee’. This film explores a fantastical world and the friendship of these two girls,” he explains.
Sultan says he strives to educate through films. “I make films only for children as I believe that films are a great way to educate. Children need to learn skills to live a better life, not just crack exams, and there is no better way to teach than films. All my films are based on issues that we need to address with children,” he says.