At the prestigious 71st National Film Awards, the movie Baby was honored with two national awards. Sai Rajesh won for Best Screenplay, and PVNS Rohith received the Best Playback Singer award for the song Premistunna. In this context, the Baby team today held a press meet in Hyderabad. Members of the film unit joined to share their joy at winning national honors. During the event:
Editor Viplav said, “We’re delighted that Baby received two National Awards. This is Sai Rajesh’s second consecutive national award. Congratulations to Rohith and Sai Rajesh. During the shoot, Sai Rajesh told me ‘Baby has strong potential for a National Award. We must work diligently.’ The moment the National Awards were announced yesterday, his words came to mind. I’m happy to have been part of such a wonderful project.”
Lyricist Suresh Banishetti, “Baby has won numerous awards. I hoped one of my songs might also receive recognition. So getting a National Award is immensely satisfying. I wrote five songs and two bit songs for this film. All the awards went to Sai Rajesh. I sincerely hope he wins an Oscar too.”
Singer PVNS Rohith said, “Until Baby, my career wasn’t going as I’d hoped. My songs were often replaced by others. Nothing matched my expectations. When I was offered the chance to sing ‘Premistunna’ in Baby, I treated it as a do-or-die opportunity. Today, winning the Best Singer National Award is deeply gratifying. I thank our director Sai Rajesh, producer SKN, and music director Vijay Bulganin for trusting me with this opportunity.”
Heroine Vaishnavi Chaitanya said, “I’m very happy to have been part of Baby. Sai Rajesh proved that if you set a goal and work towards it, you will succeed. Even two years after its release, people are still talking about Baby – that’s the impact of Sai Rajesh’s creation. And SKN believed in the project deeply. While filming, all of us were in the same mood, listening to ‘Premistunna’. They even painted nearly 100 footsteps for the song. Just like the film, this song has also become etched in our hearts.”
Producer SKN said, “When the National Awards were announced earlier, Telugu cinema didn’t receive many such honors. This year, nearly ten National Awards went to Tollywood – it’s a moment of pride for Telugu cinema. Congratulations to all the Telugu films, artists, and technicians who received national recognition. A tree, when nurtured, not only bears fruit but also provides timber to build homes. A good film brings not just money, but honor too. Baby has won Filmfare, SIIMA, GAMA, and many other awards – now adding National Awards makes us even happier. My friend Sai Rajesh believed in Baby. He polished the story over several years. That’s why this film connected with everyone. After Colour Photo, Baby earned him another National Award. And ‘Premistunnaa’ was beautifully sung by Rohith. We filmed the lyrical version for three days – when you shoot around a full song, it’s immersive. Rachmika Mandanna released it, and from there Baby began connecting with audiences. We had over a hundred premieres thanks to media support. Winning the National Award increases our responsibility to make even better films.”
Hero Anand Devarakondasaid, “The Baby team gave their all, so even after two years people still talk about the film. Seeing the ‘National Award Winner’ label on my movie poster feels like a dream come true. Sai Rajesh, following Color Photo, won another National Award for Baby. He is now respected as a director with two National Awards. For every film he does next, we’ll say it’s by a National Award–winning director. It’s a tremendous honor. SKN believed deeply in this film. The way the film was promoted became a classic example for many films. No matter which college we went to, even though we weren’t stars, the response to Baby was superb. SKN called it a cult blockbuster after the premieres. He wasn’t wrong – this film brought recognition to us all. We’re missing Viraj and Vijay Bulganin today. Thanks to everyone who supported us.”
Producer Dheeraj Mogilineni said, “It’s wonderful for our whole team to be here today at the Baby event. Though I’ve produced many films in my career, Baby holds a special place. I thank SKN and Sai Rajesh for making me part of this project. This is Sai Rajesh’s second National Award, and I hope he wins even more. ‘Premistunna’ is a beloved song from Baby, and hearing it won a National Award made us very happy.”
Director Sai Rajesh said, “I’m happy that the Baby team is all here today. When I wrote the script, I’d immerse myself in the mindset of Anand or Viraj. This story lived in my mind for two years, and I refined each scene. When I learned we’d won the National Award for Best Screenplay, I felt elated. Even more so, knowing that ‘Premistunna’ won the Best Singer Award made me proud. I told music director Vijay Bulganin that I wanted the song to be the last one composed – it’s melancholic in mood but played over happy scenes. Vijay chose to create this song first. When lyricist Banishetti read the line saying there’s another story within our story, I was inspired. When Rohith sang it, I just felt – it’s going to be a super hit. With that spark, I shaped Baby into a truly heartfelt film. Anand deeply felt the lyrical song during performance. I envisioned these shots in the film. Everyone in this project feels like a hero – they all gave their lives to it. Dheeraj D and SKN bridged the gaps for me. Vaishnavi deserves many more great films as a heroine. Anand’s look for his new film is very strong. The Best Screenplay Award should equally go to editor Viplav. When no one believed in me, SKN did. Thank you. And thanks to the media for all their support.”
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