Ahead of the 65th National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan, a controversy has come to hog the limelight.  About 120 recipients of the National Award were most recently informed that President Ram Nath Kovind will award only 11 of them directly.  The rest of the recipients will receive it from Smriti Irani.  

About 69 artists from different film industries have openly expressed their shock and disappointment.  They have decided to boycott the ceremony that is set to be held today.

In an open letter to the President, this is what some artists have observed: "It is only a day before the ceremony that we have learnt, that a large segment of the awards will not be presented by the Hon’ble President of India.

It feels like a breach of trust, when an institution/ceremony that abides by extreme protocol fails to inform us of such a vital aspect of the ceremony with a prior notice. It seems unfortunate that 65 years of tradition are being overturned in a jiffy."