Hindi film personalities stayed away from the V Shantaram awards that were announced on Sunday at Hotel Grand Maratha Sheraton in Bombay.

Evergreen hero Dev Anand presented the awards for 1997 and the special jury award to Sharbani Deodhar's Sarkarnama. J P Dutta's Border bagged two of the four awards which included the best film and best director. Mahima Chaudhry was adjudged the best debut actress for her performance in Pardes. Uttam Singh won for the best compositions for the musical score of Dil To Pagal Hai.

Dilip Kumar presented the awards for year 1998. But Karan Johar, Jatin Lalit and Joy Sengupta who won the best debut director, composer and actor award were all absent. Girish Kasravilli won the best director and the best film award for his film Tai Sahiba.

Most of the winners for the 1999 awards, barring John Mathan Matthew (who won the best debut director for Sarfarosh), remained absent. A R Rahman won the best composer for Taal. Amisha Patel and Hrithik Roshan, the winners for the best debuts were also absent. Rakesh Roshan who won the best director award for Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai also stayed away.

Refugee with trophies for best music composer (Anu Malik), best debut male (Abhishek Bachchan) and best debut female (Karriena Kapoor) swept the awards for the year 200. Satish Rajwade won the best debut director award for his film Mrugjal. The best actor award was presented to Mamotty and the best actress prize was shared by Seema Biswas and KPS Lalita.

The award function was graced by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh; Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal; Jeetendra and Yash Chopra.

Merchant Ivory's next

After The Mystic Masseur, Merchant Ivory Productions is ready to roll wit their next project -- an adaptation of English writer Diane Johnson's best seller Le Divorce.

They filmmakers have already commenced negotiations with Natalie Portman and Winona Ryder for the leads.

They are also contemplating adapting Amitav Ghosh's latest novel set in Bengal and Shashi Tharoor's Riot for the silver screen.

Mohan Deep turns playwright

Mohan Deep, the notorious star biographer has turned playwright.

Maseeha Ki Talaash, his latest writing is based on the life of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and a certain Shardha Mata. During the 70s Nehru's private secretary M O Mathai shocked the world with the revelation that Shardha Mata had borne Nehru's child.

Set in the emergency period, Mohan Deep's play blends fact and fiction.

Ritesh Deshmukh enters films

Ritesh Deshmukh, son of Maharashtra's CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, has been roped in by south filmmaker Ramoji Rao for a forthcoming project, Tujhe Meri Kasam.

Beside Ritesh the film also stars Raja and newcomer Gene. The film to be directed by Vijay Bhaskar is a remake of the Telugu hit Neuve Kavli.

Ritesh, an architect by profession based in New York is also an alumnus of the Lee Strausberg Institute for Actors in Hollywood.

Compiled by:Vivek Fernandes/Bharati Dubey
Design: Imran Shaikh