M M Srilekha on lobbying at National Awards

M. M. Srilekha on Lobbying at National Awards. Ever since Allu Arjun became the first Tollywood star to win the National Best Actor award for his performance in Pushpa The Rise, rumors of him lobbying for the award have gone viral. Srilekha, who was a member of the jury that decided the national awards in 2021, responded to these rumors based on her experience.

Speaking to scribes, Srilekha rubbished all these allegations. She went on to question "If Telugu films don’t win National Awards, people will criticize us for that. If the films do get awards, then there are accusations of lobbying. Where will this end? National Awards are given on the basis of the merits of the film and actors. The award winners need to be appreciated for their hard work,"

She added "Box office collections are never a parameter for giving an award, Some of the parameters for a National Awards include quality of the film, story, cast performance, technicalities (filmmaking) music, camerawork, etc.". She revealed, " The jury send in their recommendations to the Chairman of the National Awards committee, and the recommendations had to be justified to other members of the jury and the Chairman."

Srilekha made clear "Just because I am Rajamouli’s or Keeravani’s cousin, it doesn’t mean that I can easily give them national awards by being in the jury,"  and added, "I have never worked with them professionally either." She pointed out "Allu Arjun did a commendable job in Pushpa. We felt his character design and arc were strong and he delivered a stellar performance. His energy levels were consistent throughout,"