'I'll Never Leave the Film Industry' – Niharika Konidela Gets Emotional at Committee Kurrollu National Award Celebrations

Committee Kurrollu, produced by Niharika Konidela under the Pink Elephant Pictures and Sri Radha Damodar Studios banners, with Padmaja Konidela and Jayalakshmi Adapaka as producers, has brought immense pride to Telugu cinema. Marking the directorial debut of Yadhu Vamsi, the film emerged as a winner at the 72nd National Film Awards, bagging two prestigious honors – Best Telugu Feature Film and Best Makeup.

To celebrate this remarkable achievement, the team held a special press meet where the cast and crew shared their joy and reflected on the unforgettable journey.

Speaking at the event, Mega Producer Niharika Konidela said: "I know the journey of every single person who worked on Committee Kurrollu. My heart is filled with satisfaction after the film won two National Awards. In my 32 years of life, saying yes to Committee Kurrollu has been the best decision I have ever made. From the very beginning, I decided that this film deserved my complete dedication.

Making a good film is one thing, but taking it successfully to the audience is another challenge. Every member of this team poured their heart into this film. If this is the incredible feeling that comes with making a meaningful film, I will never leave the film industry.

Director Yadhu Vamsee always believed this film would win a National Award. I did not produce Committee Kurrollu with that intention, but during the journey, I genuinely wished that our film would be recognized at the National Awards. Today, that dream has come true.

Transforming our actors across different age groups required tremendous effort, and Ravi and Akshay played a huge role in making that possible. I'm especially happy that Ravi received the National Award for Best Makeup.

My father Nagababu received National Awards for Rudraveena, and my uncles have dedicated their lives to cinema. Today, I truly feel I have achieved something meaningful as a member of the Konidela family. I am proud to belong to the Mega family, and today I can confidently say that I deserve to be a part of it.

Everyone who watched the film, including the media and audiences, believed it deserved a National Award. Winning two awards is a dream come true. I thank everyone who supported us throughout this journey.

Chiranjeevi garu has always been a source of pride for all of us. When he told me, 'Your father received the National Award for Rudraveena, and now you are receiving one. We are all proud of you,' it became one of the most emotional moments of my life."

Director Yadhu Vamsi said: "I have always told everyone that Committee Kurrollu would win a National Award. Many producers wanted to make this film, but very few had the courage to invest in a project with so many newcomers. Manayam Ramesh garu believed in me completely, and Niharika garu supported every creative decision I made.

Every artist transformed themselves physically for their roles. I strongly wished for the Best Makeup Award because of the tremendous work that went into those transformations. A Best Film award is possible only when every artist and technician gives their absolute best.

Niharika garu never asked me to compromise on even a single scene despite the huge investment. She never worried about recovering the budget and stood firmly behind the film. Today, she has taken this journey to the national stage. I'm overwhelmed with happiness and congratulate everyone who worked on this film."

Executive Producer Manayam Ramesh said: "Our journey began three years ago. Vamsi always had complete faith in his story, and we believed in him. I hope our second film together will be just as successful. Though many project groups dissolved over time, the Committee Kurrollu family continues to stay connected. We sincerely thank the media for supporting us throughout."

Music Director Anudeep Dev "It feels like our film has been released all over again. This project has stayed with me for the last two years. I hope this story reaches international audiences as well. Vamsi always formed this team with the dream of winning a National Award, and today that dream has become reality. I thank everyone for giving me this opportunity."

Cinematographer Raju Edurolu "Vamsi narrated this story to me long ago, and after a long gap we reunited for this project under Pink Elephant Pictures. I thank Niharika garu, Phani garu, and Ramesh garu for trusting us. Above all, I thank Telugu audiences for showering so much love on our film."

Editor Anwar Ali "I met Vamsi after the lockdown while playing cricket. The moment I heard the story, I told him it had National Award potential. This recognition means a lot to us. I thank Niharika garu, Phani garu, Ramesh garu, and my entire editing team for their support."

Producer Phani Adapaka "We all watched the National Awards announcement together, and the moment Committee Kurrollu was announced as the winner was unforgettable. I thank Niharika garu for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful film. I also thank Yadhu Vamsi for bringing us this wonderful story, and express my gratitude to the Telugu media and audiences for standing by us."

Dialogue Writers Kondal Rao & Venkat Subash Kondal Rao said that Yadhu Vamsi offered him the opportunity after reading his poetry collection and expressed his happiness over winning a National Award as a newcomer.

Venkat Subash credited Yadhu Vamsi for bringing him into films and said the performances of the artists, technicians, and producers gave life to everything they had written. He also thanked the media for helping the film reach audiences.

National Award-winning makeup artist P. Ravi Kumar said:."Working on Committee Kurrollu is like earning a PhD. Niharika garu is the vision, Ramesh garu is the strength, and Vamsi garu is the execution behind this success. I thank everyone for giving me this opportunity."

Cast Members Share Their Happiness

Sandeep Saroj said the love for the film remains as strong as ever, even two years after its release, and added that he always believed it would win a National Award.

Prasad Behara thanked the makers for giving everyone memorable roles and said the film represents the hard work of the entire team.

Vishika shared that ever since the National Awards announcement, she has been receiving congratulatory calls and that even her relatives and friends now look at her with greater admiration.

Tejaswi revealed that she and Vishika were together when they heard the news and recalled that their team had a chat group named "Target National Award." She expressed immense happiness that her very first film had won a National Award.

The celebrations were also attended by Yaswanth Pendyala, Eeshwar Rachiraju, Trinadh Varma, Prasad Behara, Manikantha Parasu, Lokesh Kumar Parimi, Shyam Kalyan, Raghuvaran, Shiva Kumar Matta, and several other members of the Committee Kurrollu family, who shared their joy over the film's historic achievement.