By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent
Kochi: The prestigious Raja Ravi Varma Award for the year 2008 instituted by the Kerala government was presented to Gulam Muhammed Sheikh, renowned poet, artist and art critic, on Wednesday. MA Baby, Minister for Cultural Affairs and Education, presented the award at the function held at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi.
Receiving the award, Mr Sheikh said that the State governments should create platforms of expressions for all artists. Mr Baby opined that Sheikh had evolved a perfect blend of humanism, music and art in his creativity. CN Karunakaran, chairman of the Lalitha Kala Akademi, presided over the function.
Two films on Sheikh were screened before the award presentation ceremony. They were ‘A Painter’s Portrait’ directed by K Vikram Singh and ‘The Self and the World’ by R Nandakumar.
The state government had chosen eminent painter MF Hussain for the award in 2007. But the award has not yet been presented due to many controversies. The Kerala High Court also stayed conferring of the award when a Public Interest Litigation was filed by a member of the Cochin royal family. The PIL accused Mr Hussein of depicting Hindu gods in a bad manner.