November 3, 2025 : Actor Paresh Rawal, who won a National Award in 1993, has opened up about the influence of lobbying in award circuits. The actor admitted that even the prestigious National Awards aren’t entirely free from lobbying, adding that similar practices take place at the Oscars as well.
Paresh Rawal on lobbying in National Awards
Recently, Paresh sat down with Raj Shamani in his podcast to discuss several aspects of his career. During the conversation, Paresh spoke about lobbying practices at the National Awards and Oscars, stressing that he values appreciation from directors and writers far more than any trophy.
Talking about the credibility of film awards, Paresh said, “Award to mujhe to pata hi nahi hai. Ek baat main ye bhi bolun, National Award mein thoda bahut (lobbying) hota hoga. Utna nahi hai jitna baaki ke awards mein hota hai. Baaki ke award ki to baat karo ya na karo, koi farq nahi padta. National Award to National Award hai, reputed hai (I don’t even know much about awards. I’ll say that there might be a bit of lobbying in the National Awards, but not as much as in other awards. The rest don’t matter much. The National Award is reputed).”
He underscored his point by noting that lobbying isn’t limited to India, mentioning, “Lobbying to Oscar Awards mein bhi hoti hai (Lobbying happens at Oscar awards too).”
Paresh revealed that the process is largely fueled by influence and networking. He added that big parties are also hosted as part of lobbying efforts. “Haan bhaiya, Raj ki picture hai. Chalo jitne academy ke jitne members hote hain sabko whip up kiya jaata hai (So, it’s Raj’s film. Let’s get all the Academy members together and influence them).”
Summary:
Actor Paresh Rawal revealed that lobbying influences India’s National Awards, though not as much as the Oscars, sparking debate over fairness in film recognition systems.