Air-pollution awareness short film starring Dindigul schoolgirl Mukizhanbu wins 3 international awards

3 November 2026 · English Tamil Nadu

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Topics: Tamil Nadu · 3 November 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

The short film 'Awake Before Another Pandemic', starring Mukizhanbu, a 7-year-old schoolgirl from near Dindigul, has won 3 international awards (Daily Thanthi, 3 Nov 2026). It explains air pollution and the steps needed to stop it from leading to a pandemic; it is directed by Mani Arputharaj. It won 2 awards at Kolkata's 'Tagore International Cinema Award' (250+ entries from around the world) and 1 at the 'Kalinga Cinema Festival', and was shortlisted for 3 more. Earlier it won first prize in the short-film contest of the Dindigul Book Festival.

Key facts

Background

• Environment–health: the main components of air pollution are PM2.5 and PM10 particles, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide; they worsen respiratory diseases.
• Pandemic history: WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020. India's first COVID-19 case was found on 30 Jan 2020 at Thrissur, Kerala (a student back from Wuhan).
• Literature–history: Rabindranath Tagore, after whom the award is named, wrote two national anthems – India's 'Jana Gana Mana' and Bangladesh's 'Amar Shonar Bangla'. 'Kalinga' is the old name of present-day Odisha; Ashoka's change of heart after the Kalinga war (c. 261 BCE) is recorded in his Major Rock Edict XIII.

Tamil Nadu link: Dindigul is famous for its lock industry – the 'Dindigul Lock' received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in Aug 2019 (along with Karaikudi's 'Kandangi' saree).

Source: Daily Thanthi, 3 Nov 2026; The Hindu (Dindigul lock GI, 2019); DT Next (Dindigul lock industry); PIB / WHO (COVID-19)

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