He is known for his grip on urban themes and has won three National Awards for his films Chandni Bar, Page 3 and Traffic Signal. But before he goes to New Delhi to receive his third National Award on September 2, he has made a commitment that brings out his sensitivity towards rural issues too.

Madhur Bhandarkar has decided to donate his award money of Rs 2.5 lakh to Kamla Kashinath Waghmare, Sangita Prakash Darne and Sugandha Shyamrao Kannake, widows of Vidarbha farmers who committed suicide due to agrarian distress. Contributing Rs 50,000 from his own pocket, he would be handing over cheques for Rs 1 lakh each to them at a simple ceremony here on August 6.

"I have been hearing and reading a lot about the farm crisis. As one involved in making films over social themes, I thought it would be good if I could provide some of them with the financial leverage they so badly need in the face of the kind of grave crisis they are in. So, when the national award was declared, I decided to take the call for the noble cause," Bhandarkar told The Indian Express in an interview.

Asked how a typically urban filmmaker like him thought of addressing the rural distress, he said, "I may have made films based on urban themes, but I do keep track of everything happening around me, including issues of rural India as well."

But how about making a film on rural crises like the farm distress? "If I get a good theme, I would certainly like to work on it," he said.

Bhandarkar admits that Indian films have been somewhat lost on rural realities, but says even people from rural areas want to see what's happening in cities.

"The last film to have been made on rural background was Lagaan. But I feel Hindi cinema could again be turning towards rural themes that would be strong enough to attract all kinds of audiences like what used to be up to 80s," he said.

Even as philanthrophists and politicians are vying with each other to help Kalavati and Shashikala after Rahul Gandhi's reference to them in his speech in Parliament, hundreds of Kalavatis and Shashikalas continue to fight poverty and indebtedness in the absence of any help. Those to benefit from Bhandarkar's help are amongst the genuinely needy ones.

Sangita and Sugandha belong to Yelabara and Kumri villages in Yavatmal district while Kamla belongs to Moundhala village in Buldana district.

Sangita's husband Prakash had committed suicide on June 28, 2007 - he carried a loan burden of Rs 56,000. Sangita has two daughters, one of them visually-impaired, and a son to look after.

Sugandha faced a unique tragedy. Her husband and father-in-law committed suicide on a single day, February 17, 2007 due to poverty. She has two sons, who can't go to school due to extreme poverty.

Kashinath Waghmare's was the first suicide after announcement of loan waiver, on March 1. "In all these cases, the help would be really going to the genuinely deserving families," said Yavatmal Collector Sanjay Deshmukh.

Bhandarkar admits that attempt should be do enable and empower the farmers to help themselves, but says financial help helps one to stand in good stead till empowerment happens.