Sandhya Raju, dancer, actor, and first-time producer, is overjoyed after her film Natyam received two honors at the 68th National Film Awards.
Sandhya received the award for Best Choreography, and TV Rambabu received the award for Best Makeup Artist. "It's unbelievable that we have won not one, but two accolades, competing with performers from all over the nation," adds Sandhya, who also performed the major part in Natyam. Winning a choreographic prize as a classical dancer, as great performers like Saroj Khan and Prabhu Deva have done in the past, is an incredible sensation."
Sandhya credits her director Revanth Korukonda for pushing her to achieve better. “In truth, the entire crew, which worked through sleepless hours to create this labor of love, is responsible for this victory. I wish my mentor, Dr. Vempati Chinna Satyam, was here to witness this victory."
Sandhya was just ten years old when she began practicing with the Kuchipudi legend, taking in all she saw around her. "Every day as I came to class, I saw his Padma Bushan award and a huge image of him earning it." "I felt obligated to carry on his legacy."
The dancer-actor feels that her victory will lead to more people recognizing Kuchipudi as an art form and more women working behind the scenes in content creation. "Like my guru, my life's purpose has been to guarantee that I have a national influence. I hope this motivates filmmakers to produce films that defy expectations and opens doors in Tollywood for more women behind the camera," she concludes.
