Everyone loves a trophy award!

So, invariably there will be those who sulk at having missed out - either the glory or the statuette

Mercifully, the awards season is over and done with. Practically every nominee went home with a trophy. Any actor who attended the event strode up to the hallowed stage to be honoured unconditionally. Yes, even Akshay Kumar for Baby and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for Jazbaa. As for Amitabh Bachchan, he was consoled in sidebar categories for his admittedly inspired oldie-but-goldie act in Piku. The Best Actor statuette was reserved for Ranveer Singh for his muscular performance (literally) in Bajirao Mastani.
Ranbir Kapoor (Tamasha) was the only one who left virtually empty-handed. And, expectedly, Priyanka Chopra didn't fetch up at all for the blingy evenings. Clearly the scene-stealer of Bajirao Mastani, Priyanka obviously opted to avoid the Best Supporting Actress tag. Eons ago, Vyjayanthimala, in the part of the assertive courtesan Chandramukhi, had pooh-poohed the back-up trophy for Bimal Roy's Devdas. Reason: Vyjayanthimala felt that she was on par with Suchitra Sen who incarnated the docile Paro to Dilip Kumar's doom-laden lead.
Over the decades, the award ground events have practically multiplied. Nothing wrong with that. The more, the better, if you ask me.

Since I was associated with the Filmfare Awards, as the magazine's editor for nine years, I can say in hindsight ?that the scenario wasn't an archly competitive one. We did our number; others started doing theirs. However, I suspect that for every award-bestowing organisation, be it Filmfare or Screen, it was a mission-near-impossible. Presumably, it still is.
Unlike the Oscars, where a majority of nominees are ?present in the audience, Indian award events are bereft of actors who dread the fact that they may not be 'honoured'. Forget that extinct quality called the 'sporting spirit'. It's just not in the veins of A-listers to accept the combined verdict of the jury and the readers' poll.
Which explains the absence of Kangana Ranaut last ?year at the Filmfare show despite an overwhelming chance of grabbing the Best Actress trophy for Queen. Subsequently, it had to delivered to her at her home by Rekha, who has become a fixture as a trophy presenter swathed in rich Kanjeevaram saris. If the diva isn't assigned the task of hugging and gushing over the Best Actor or, at a pinch, the Best Actress - the big moments of the show - she feels downgraded.
 
Be that as it may, Kangana was an ?absentee this year too, since her double role deed in Tanu Weds Manu Returns didn't have an ice cube's chance in a bonfire against Deepika Padukone in Piku. Sigh. Come on Ms Ranaut, how about being a good sport instead of a sore loser?
You may have your own take on Aamir Khan boycotting awards as a matter of policy. He doesn't believe in them ?after his past performances in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Rangeela were aced by Anil Kapoor (Beta) and Shah Rukh Khan (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge). Willy-nilly, Filmfare had to abide by the jury's razor edge verdict.
In the instance of Rangeela, there was a tie. A top cop on the panel, which comprises professionals from various walks of life, still had to cast his vote. Suspense! He preferred Shah Rukh to Aamir and that was that.
Instantaneously, Aamir went into a sulk, exacerbating the view that the awards were rigged. Earlier, in the case of ?Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, he had retained his cool, without casting aspersions or flying off into a personal mode. Unfeted twice was two times too much for him.
I have no qualms in saying that Aamir's incurable allergy to awards is justified to a degree. Concurrently, it also sugg-ests an uncontainable ego. Also, when Lagaan featured among the Best Foreign Film nominations at the Oscars, the actor jetted off to the US for the Academy Awards' decision, didn't he? The fact that Lagaan eventually lost out to No Man's Land, set against the Bosnian war, didn't incite him to hyperventilate that the Oscars were rigged, did it?

Over time, actors who break into song-and-dances at ?the award functions or anchor them have found a hefty ?annual income. There was a time when the star numbers were performed gratis by upcoming actors - to display their skills - and by the established ones, as goodwill gestures or to garner pre-film-release publicity.
No more, and understandably so.
Since the organisers - media groups, TV channels and corporates set up essentially to cash in on star-packed shows - amass profits from sponsors and the sale of TV and satellite channel rights, why shouldn't the actors demand professional fees? That makes sense certainly? Only, the same actors end up performing at multiple award shows.
Indeed, the general feeling is that there are far too many shows with near-similar entertainment interludes. Never mind that grouse. Most of the telecast events fetch high TRP ratings, the sponsors are happy (or so it would seem) and so it's a win-win situation for all.

Compared to the glitzy award evenings, the National Awards, which are presented by the central government, are extremely staid and business-like. Only news excerpts are telecast. These awards go out to films from the myriad film-producing centres of India, and are finalised by a pan-Indian jury.
Controversies and heartburn abound there just as much (if not more) at these awards, which were initiated way back in 1954. The year's last but not the least of the awards - presented customarily by the President of India around March-April - are endemically accused of parochialism, ?and political interventions by an abstract force called 'vested interests'.
Honestly, when it comes to the task of bestowing awards - any award - it's a thankless job.