Creating the Gaddar Award demanded cultural sensitivity and historical insight, says the artist

Mahi Sharma

HYDERABAD

The Telangana Gaddar Film Awards memento featuring a golden hand clutching a traditional dappu, wrapped with a film reel, is a bold and evocative symbol of the spirit of resistance and culture in Telangana.

It is the creation of Ramavath Nayak, an artist whose journey began in the bylanes of a small village near Guntur. Born in the early 1980s, Nayak discovered his love for art while still in school. His first earnings of ₹200 was by painting maps and portraits on school walls.

Talking about his design, Mr. Nayak explained, “The hand signifies the people’s power to shape their lives and the dappu represents the beat of revolution, of collective justice. And the film reel ties it all to the power of storytelling through cinema.”

For Mr. Nayak, designing the Gaddar Award was personal. “I come from a village where there wasn’t even an art teacher and to be chosen for something like this is a reminder that passion not privilege, defines your path,” he says.

He added that creating the memento involved more than artistic skill; it demanded cultural sensitivity and historical insight. For this, he immersed himself in Gaddar’s writings, speeches, and performances to understand the spirit of the man and the movement. He studied Telangana’s folklore, protest art, and the region’s history of resistance to arrive at the iconic design we now see.

To hone his talent, he joined the Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts in Hyderabad. His decision to enroll was shaped by a fortuitous moment, a state-level art competition where his concept painting, themed around environmental awareness, caught the attention of prominent guests.  One of whom encouraged him to pursue formal training in art. Despite financial constraints, he managed to complete his education, supporting himself with prize money and freelance work. Nayak was suggested as a candidate to design the Gaddar Award by his well-wisher Satya Kishor. 

As the Gaddar Award finds its place in the hands of Telugu cinema’s finest, it carries with it not only recognition but also resistance, pride and an enduring beat of revolution just as Gaddar would have wanted.

(The writer is an intern with The Hindu)