First Bhojpuri Cinema Samman in Varanasi on June 8

Lucknow, May 18 (UNI) ETV, the largest regional satellite news channels of the country, will hold the first ever Bhojpuri Cinema Samman-2008 at Varanasi on June 8 next.

This will be the maiden Bhojpuri Film Awards in the country even after the first Bhojpuri film 'Ganga Maiya Tohre Piyari Charibo' created record in the box office in 1960s.

The Awards will be in two categories-- jury and popular awards.

People can vote in the popular category from May 20 to 29 in the ' Bhojpuri Cinema Samman Mobile Van' which will visit 25 districts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

ETV producer Santosh Pandey said here last evening that there will be 20 awards in the jury category while another nine awards in the popular category.

Mr Pandey said the main aim of the award function will be to honour the people promoting the regional language of UP, Bihar and Jharkhand besides creating awarness for the Bhojpuri films.

All Bhojpuri films which have been released between April 2007 to March 2008 would be eligible to contest in the award function.

Around 60 Bhojpuri films are expected to be part of the award function.

Bhojpuri films are very popular in the eastern parts of UP, Bihar and Jharkhand and in 2004, a Bhojpuri film'' Sasura Bara Paise wala' was one of the most successful feature film of the country.

UNI MB BDP KP1418