Uncertainty has shrouded the 20th State Film awards ceremony which is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar tomorrow as the Orissa High Court today imposed a stay on the distribution of awards unless they are certified under the Rules of Orissa State Awards for films by the Jury. The division bench, comprising Justices IM Quddusi and Kumari Sanju Panda, has also issued notice to Culture Department on question of selection and nomination of films for the Orissa State Awards for films. It directed that the jury members have to certify that there has been compliance of Rules 3 A and B. the rules state that remake of a film that has already won a state award In a particular category shall be ineligible for nomination.

In the case of the film Awards for 2007, which were to be given away tomorrow, the complaint was that the film ‘Pagala Premi’ was being considered and going to be awarded even though it was a remake of Telugu movie ‘Arya’, which won the Andhra Pradesh state award.

Alleging favouritism, producer under the banner of Maa Shibani Pictures Bijaya Kumar and others have filed a writ challenging the selection of the movie. The jury have not adhered to the rules and regulations, he alleged.