Summer Holidays Team Congratulates the Team of “35 Chinna Katha Kaadu” on Winning Two National Awards by Felicitating them

Summer Holidays Team Congratulates the Team of “35 Chinna Katha Kaadu” on Winning Two National Awards by Felicitating them

The recently announced 72nd National Film Awards brought double honours for the film “35 Chinna Katha Kaadu,” which won the awards for Best Children’s Film and Best Child Artist. Master Arun Dev Pothula received the National Award for Best Child Artist for his outstanding performance in the film.

Master Arun Dev is currently playing a key role in the upcoming children’s film “Summer Holidays.” On this occasion, the team of “Summer Holidays” felicitated and congratulated the team of “35 Chinna Katha Kaadu” for their remarkable achievement.

“Summer Holidays” is being produced by Dheeraj Mogilineni under the banner of Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment and directed by Sreekar. The film stars Master Rohan, Master Arun Dev, and Baby Khushi in important roles and is gearing up for a grand theatrical release soon.

Speaking at the event, music director Sinjith Yerramilli said, “35 Chinna Katha Kaadu is a beautiful film. I became emotional while watching Arun’s performance. These National Awards are the result of director Nanda Kishore’s relentless efforts. Vivek Sagar’s music for the film has been a constant source of inspiration for me. Arun is now acting in our film Summer Holidays, and even while watching his performance on our sets, I often get emotional. My heartfelt congratulations to the entire team of 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu.”

Director Srikar said, “I congratulate the team of 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu for delivering a children’s film that has made Telugu cinema proud. About three decades ago, Bala Ramayanam brought the National Award for Best Children’s Film to Telugu cinema, and now this honour has returned with 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu. Arun is a wonderful actor and is currently working in our film Summer Holidays. During the shoot, he often spoke about the dedication and hard work the entire team put into making 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu. In our film, he delivered a two-page dialogue in a single take. Watching his performance, I found myself smiling when he smiled and tearing up when he cried. I also congratulate Arun’s parents for being his strongest support system in helping him grow as an actor.”

Producer Dheeraj Mogilineni said, “I missed watching 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu in theatres but watched it later on OTT. Priyadarshi, Nivetha Thomas, and the filmmakers believed in the story and brought it to life with great conviction. Hats off to all their efforts. After watching the film, I genuinely felt it deserved a much bigger theatrical run and should have reached many more audiences. In fact, 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu inspired me to produce Summer Holidays. Even before the National Awards were announced, I wanted to honour director Nanda Kishore simply for making such a meaningful film. I hope he continues making many more films like this. Priyadarshi’s decision to play an important role despite being a successful solo lead actor worked wonderfully for the film. His presence, along with Nivetha Thomas, helped bring greater attention to the movie. Vishwadev also delivered a memorable performance. I still listen to Vivek Sagar’s songs from the film regularly. Through this film, I truly understood my friend Srujan’s passion for cinema and my respect for him has grown immensely. During the auditions for Summer Holidays, Arun instantly felt like the perfect choice for the role. Today, he feels like a member of our own family.”

Actor Vishwadev said, “When Nanda Kishore first narrated this story, we were incredibly excited, and audiences experienced the same emotion in theatres. This film found its dream team. Everyone believed in the project wholeheartedly, and that collective faith has now been rewarded with two National Awards. Even before this, the film had won honours at several film festivals. Everyone in our team knows how strongly Priyadarshi supported the project. Arun performs with remarkable naturalness. No matter how much we praise Vivek Sagar’s contribution through his music, it will never be enough. Recently I listened to the Crush song from Summer Holidays, and it instantly reminded me of the wonderful musical vibe of 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu. I wish the entire team many more successful films.”

Actor Priyadarshi said, “I sincerely thank Dheeraj garu for organizing this event to honour our team. I first heard this story eight years ago, and the film finally released in 2024. During the shoot, director Nanda Kishore would bring the book Adhunika Mahabharatam to the sets every day. Inspired by that book, he created what I would call a modern Ramayanam on screen. I don’t know if I’ll ever get another opportunity to be part of a film like this. I believe this story came into my life because of the blessings earned by my parents. Nanda Kishore fought a long battle to bring this story to audiences. Through this film, we witnessed the immense love audiences shower on meaningful cinema. Their encouragement has inspired us to continue making good films. When I first heard this story, it reminded me of my own mother, and that is why I chose to do the film. I believe every audience member will be reminded of their parents while watching it. Congratulations to Arun on winning the National Award. I truly believe the day is not far when his house will have more awards than utensils.”

Master Arun Dev said, “35 Chinna Katha Kaadu is truly a very big story. Between the defeat called minus and the victory called plus, everyone must pass through the journey called zero. We crossed that zero and reached the National Awards. Whenever someone is losing, many hands come forward to encourage them. In the same way, every member of our team stood beside me, gave me strength, and helped me earn this National honour. I thank Dheeraj garu for organizing this felicitation and for giving me the opportunity to be part of Summer Holidays. I reached this stage because of the support of my parents, family, and teachers. I dedicate this National Award to my mother.”

Director Nanda Kishore said, “Many years ago, Bala Ramayanam won the National Award for Best Children’s Film and brought great pride to Telugu cinema. After all these years, our film has earned the same honour, and I feel extremely proud as its director. I thank Dheeraj garu for organizing this event to honour our team. They are making Summer Holidays under the direction of Sreekar, and I sincerely believe that film will win a National Award in 2028. I hope to attend that felicitation ceremony as a guest. Many people initially had doubts about this story, but our producers Srujan and Siddharth trusted the emotional experience it created and stood firmly behind me. Had they not supported this film, Arun would have outgrown the role while I continued struggling for opportunities with an even greyer beard. I hope I have justified the faith they placed in me. Every filmmaker has a responsibility to protect the producer who invests in their vision. Otherwise, future films under that banner may never happen. I made this film with that sense of responsibility. Had this film not received such recognition and audience appreciation, very few people would have come forward to make another children’s film. Instead, our film would have been cited as an example of why such films shouldn’t be made. I sincerely thank the National Award jury and the Government of India for this prestigious recognition.”

Arun Dev’s parents, Suresh and Satyavani, expressed their happiness, saying, “We encouraged our son to pursue the field he truly loved, and today that support has resulted in him receiving the National Award for Best Child Artist. The greatest honour for us is that people now proudly recognize us as Arun’s parents.”