In a surprising move, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of Telangana has declared a significant change for the prestigious Nandi Awards, which recognize excellence in the Telugu film industry. The awards will now be known as the Gaddar Awards, paying homage to the legendary revolutionary poet Gaddar. The Chief Minister made this announcement during the celebrations of Gaddar’s birth anniversary at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad last night.
“Since assuming the role of Chief Minister, many personalities from the Telugu film industry have urged me to reinstate the Nandi Awards. I have decided that these awards will now be named after Gaddar Anna. The Gaddar Awards will be conferred annually on Gaddar Anna’s birth anniversary,” stated the Chief Minister. This decision has resonated with the sentiments of fans and well-wishers of the versatile poet.
Since the separation of the states, the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have shown little interest in presenting the Nandi Awards to film stars and technicians. Previously, the Telangana government had proposed renaming the awards as Simha Awards, but no significant progress had been made.