Shoojit Sircar: TOIFA gives me confidence that we can have a credible award show

'It’s good to know that TOIFA is trying to eliminate the culture of only winners attending award shows'
The Times of India (BCCL) recently announced the launch of its inaugural Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) OTT Edition 2023. The black-tie event will take place on July 27 in Mumbai, honouring exemplary talent in acting, content creation and technical prowess in Hindi web films and series of 2023.
Beyond the legacy and prestige of the brand, what sets the awards apart is its rigorous three-tier voting process that ensures credibility.The nominees have been shortlisted by 30 members of the Screening Jury, comprising known actors, filmmakers, studio execs, writers, casting directors and film critics. The nominations are then vetted by the illustrious Advisory Council of nine members that include Siddharth Roy Kapur, Shoojit Sircar, Rajkumar Hirani, Sameer Nair, Nikhil Advani, Raveena Tandon, Guneet Monga Kapoor, Aanand L Rai and Madhureeta Mukherjee. After this, the TOIFA Academy comprising 175 members of the Producers Guild of India will vote for the winners.
Acclaimed filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, who is also on the Advisory Council of TOIFA, shared his insight on why he’s optimistic about the credibility that TOIFA brings. In a candid chat with us, he said, “I have stopped going to award shows. I have not been to any award function for many years now. They are time-consuming and secondly, the credibility is questionable. I don’t want to blame anyone as that’s how the world operates. But I firmly believe that award shows should honour the finest talent alone. When I was explained the three-tier voting process of TOIFA, technical details and the names involved in the Advisory Council, I felt the team’s intent is right and they are capable of reinstating credibility.”

The director elaborated, “There’s a three-level check as far as nominations and voting are concerned. This award execution process gave me the confidence that for years to come, if the organisers stick to integrity and core values of rewarding talent and art, we could have a credible award show. Since this is the first year (OTT edition), going forward, things will expand and there will be more discussions, addition of members in the Advisory Council and Screening Jury. All of that will only add to the inclusivity and reach. But I can say that this is a good beginning.”
Addressing a crucial issue, he added, “No one will know the winners (not even the Advisory Council). They will be announced straight on the awards night. That’s going to be exciting. This should eliminate the culture of only winners attending the show, which is rampant. Be it the Academy Awards or Golden Globes, every nominee shows up because that’s credibility. That is what TOIFA is trying to achieve too, and I feel that’s incredible for artistic expression.”