Tamil film director M. Manikandan may have experienced mixed feelings when he received the two National Award medals back from the burglars who had taken them along with the cash and valuables they had looted from his house in Madurai. The thieves wrote to him, “Sir, forgive (us), your hard work is yours.” But they did not return the cash and the gold jewellery they had taken away with the medals.
On 8th February, burglars broke into Manikandan’s house and decamped with Rs. 1 lakh cash, five sovereigns of gold ornaments and the two medals. Manikandan’s debut film, Kaaka Muttai, had won the Best Children’s Film Award at the 62nd National Film Awards in 2015. His Kadaisi Vivasayi had bagged the award for the Best Tamil Film at the 69th National Film Awards in 2023. Even as police investigations were underway, the burglars dropped off a plastic bag in front of the house of the filmmaker on the night of 11th February. The bag contained the medals and the heartfelt note.