The exclusion of sound mixing and sync sound categories from the National Film Awards this year has ignited a considerable controversy, with audiographers’ unions and sound designers leveling accusations against the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry for making a unilateral decision without stakeholder consultation.
Up until 2008, the National Film Awards only featured a single award for Best Audiography in the sound category. However, in 2009, this category was sub-categorized into three distinct awards: one for location sound recordist, one for sound designer, and one for re-recordist of the final mixed track. This system had remained in place until an announcement this year revealed a significant change: the three awards would be consolidated into a single category for Best Sound Designer.
Sound designer Resul Pookutty, who won an Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing in 2009, voiced his strong disapproval of the decision. “The decision is illogical and displays a low level of understanding of the technicalities of sound in cinema,” Pookutty told The Hindu. “They have decided to drop these awards all of a sudden without any discussions with stakeholders. There have been instances in the past where films that were not shot using sync sound (sound recording during filming), were awarded for sync sound. Instead of rectifying these, they have taken out all these categories. We have been seeking appointments with Ministers to make them understand that this is unfair.”
The frustration among industry professionals does not stop with Pookutty. Jikku M. Joshi, recognized for his work in production sound mixing on the National Award-winning film “Aattam,” expressed his own displeasure, framing the decision as demotivating and discriminatory. “It is discriminatory that the art of production sound is not valued,” he said.
. Joshi went on to explain the crucial role of each segment in the sound production pipeline: from the on-location capturing of dialogue and effects to the crafting of an aesthetic soundscape by the sound designer, and finally to the mixing engineer who determines how the sound is experienced in theaters and on streaming platforms. “These are different trades and the removal of any one out of the equation is unfair,” Joshi concluded.
Ajith Abraham George, a Sound Mixing Engineer and vice-president of the Cine Audiographers Association of Kerala (affiliated with the Film Employees Federation of Kerala or FEFKA), underscored the dismay felt by many in the industry. George shared that representations had been sent from FEFKA, as well as from sound engineers’ unions in Chennai and Mumbai, following the issuance of the National Awards entry notifications. Yet, they have received no response from the I&B Ministry, the Directorate of Film Festivals, or the National Film Awards Cell. “No committee is known to have recommended the dropping of these awards. So, whom did the government officials consult before taking such a decision?” questioned George.
Adding to the mounting discontent, it remains notable that the Kerala State Film Awards retain their practice of presenting sound awards in the original three separate categories, which many view as more appropriate recognition of the diverse skills involved in sound production for film.
The changes set forth by the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry have led to a pressing debate within the film sound community, stirring discussions about the proper recognition and categorization of various roles in sound production. These roles, often technical in nature, contribute significantly to the narrative power and emotional impact of a film, making their recognition through awards not only a matter of professional acknowledgment but also an endorsement of the integral and collaborative nature of film production itself.
The discord stemming from this decision indeed points to broader issues surrounding governance and policymaking in the arts, where consultation with actual practitioners can often be overlooked. The sound professionals’ call to action asks for not only a reversal of this recent decision but also a more inclusive and transparent process when it comes to alterations in honors and recognitions within the industry.
As the controversy stands unresolved, the broader film community and associated bodies continue to await clearer communication and hopefully, a reconsideration of the awards structure that suitably acknowledges the multifaceted discipline of sound in cinema.
