Director says assurance from ESG brings hope for fair assessment
PANAJI
A day after filmmaker Miransha Naik nearly returned his four personal awards to the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), the Konkani film ‘Juze’ is set to be re-evaluated by a fresh jury.
Naik, who directed the award-winning 93-minute film, expressed disappointment after ESG’s revaluation committee placed it in the ‘C’ category.
“It hurt me to see my film rated in the lowest category, despite winning over a dozen awards last month, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Dialogues,” Naik told The Goan.
He added that ESG general manager Mrunal Walke has assured him that the film would now be reviewed by another panel.
“New jury members will assess the films of producer-directors unhappy with the earlier evaluation. I am expecting justice this time,” said Naik.
Under ESG rules, films are graded in categories A, B and C, which determine the level of financial assistance. Category A films receive Rs 50 lakh, Category B films Rs 30 lakh, and Category C films Rs 10 lakh.
Naik’s upcoming Konkani film ‘Vish’ is complete and scheduled for release in early 2026, while ‘Juze’ is set to release on an OTT platform. His Marathi film ‘Vaat’ is also lined up for an OTT release.
Speaking about streaming, Naik said the process was “tedious, with many formalities and little monetary gain,” but admitted it helps films reach a wider audience.
