?Video films have emerged as an alternative mode of entertainment in the absence of good feature films. The Chitralekha awards are meant to recognise talents who have brought about a revolution in the video film industry,? said veteran actor Indra Bania, who heads the United Television and Film Makers? Association.

In an industry that produces only seven to eight feature films a year, video films have actually become the main source of sustenance for producers, directors, actors, musicians and technical personnel.

Film critic Pabitra Kumar Deka said some of the video films being made were ?sincere attempts at entertaining the audience over a duration of one-and-a-half-hours?.

Jug, the first video film in Assamese, was made in the mid-seventies under the banner of Nari-Hari Company. The late Dhrubojit Kishore Choudhury, a.k.a. Bhaiyya Mama, directed the film. A spate of video films by the same director followed, including the hugely popular Be-Ho-Hu.

Choudhury?s death in a road accident in 1999 led to a drought until N.K. Productions of Jorhat came up with Bohagor Nasoni, a music video album. It was an instant hit and triggered non-stop production of video films.

But many critics believe most of the video films and music albums being churned out now are below average.

?Quality is a concern. But awards like this will not only encourage talents, but also create a sense of competition and lead to qualitative improvement,? Deka said.

He also made a case for introduction of censorship. ?It will introduce accountability,? Deka said.