NEW DELHI(TIP): ‘Irada’, produced by New York-based Falguni and Chintu Patel, was presented the Best Film on Environment award at The National Film Awards 2018 ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on May 3.

‘Irada’ (meaning ‘Resolve’) also won the Best Supporting Actress award for Divya Dutta.

The prestigious annual awards were presented by India’s President Ram Nath Kovind and Information & Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani.

President Kovind said on the occasion, “This is a special moment for all of you.” He added that cinema is “an expression of Indian soft power and has a transcontinental footprint.”

The Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation award for ‘Irada’ was received by Irada Entertainment founder and partner Falguni Patel from the I& B minister, cheered by Chintu Patel, in the august hall of Vigyan Bhavan.

‘Irada’, that also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and New York-born actor Prashantt Guptha, raises the contemporary ecological issues of uranium poisoning, reverse boring, and fertilizer poisoning due to the green revolution and their adverse impact on the people who live in India’s Malwa region, which extends to parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Chintu and his brother Chirag Patel are co-chairmen of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, the fifth largest generics drugs firm in America.

Chintu and Chirag were The South Asian Times Person of the Year 2017 and were felicitated by the newspaper at a gala function in January this year on Long Island, NY.

Pleased with the award for ‘Irada’, the first film from Irada Entertainment, Chintu Patel said: “We will be making more content-based films, making more web series and growing it into certain other media outlets over a period of time.”