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And just like that, Mammootty has bagged his seventh Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor, making him the artiste with the most wins in the category. He previously shared the honour with fellow superstar Mohanlal, both tied at six. It is his extraordinary and unparalleled performance as Kodumon Potti/Chathan in director Rahul Sadasivan’s folk horror Bramayugam that earned Mammootty this trophy. The winners were selected by a jury headed by veteran actor Prakash Raj.
During the press conference announcing the honourees, Prakash launched a scathing attack on the controversial National Film Awards for turning a blind eye to Mammootty. Revealing that a total of 128 films were submitted for consideration this time, the jury chairperson noted that only 10 per cent of the total number, however, adhered to the expected quality.
Mentioning that age and experience aren’t factors when considering the best performances, he stated, “The presence of Mammootty in Bramayugam and the nuances he carried just with his presence were very strong. Youngsters are yet to have that level of expression. This is not a charity organisation; we have to give the awards to the best. If he’s still relevant (at this age), that is something to be inspired by.”
When asked about Mammootty’s snubbing at the recently concluded 71st National Film Awards ceremony, Prakash Raj asserted that they don’t deserve him. He also alleged that the National Awards are “compromised.” The actor continued, “When I was called as the jury chairman (for the 55th Kerala State Film Awards), they said, ‘We need an outsider who’s experienced, and we will not poke our hands into it (the process). We will let you make the decision. That’s not happening in the National Awards.” Taking a veiled attack on purported propaganda films such as The Kashmir Files (2022) and The Kerala Story (2023), he observed, “When files and piles are getting awards, we know what it is. Such a jury and national government don’t deserve Mammootty.”
Commenting on the decline in the number of quality movies, he wondered, “Is it because the so-called big people have become busy with other-language, ‘pan Indian’ films? It is their responsibility to keep the health of the industry high because this is where they grew up. Both Malayalam cinema and the audience deserve more wonderful films.”
Prakash Raj further revealed why the jury chose not to present the Best Children’s Film and Best Child Artist awards this time. “We did not find a single film or attempt to make a children’s film. With great humility, we request that the film fraternity consider making children’s films. Directors and writers should realise that it’s not just the elders and youngsters, but children are part of society. Just by casting children, it won’t automatically become children’s cinema. We need to know what children think; they are a vital part of this evolution,” he said.
Prakash added, “None of the films discussed children’s perceptions, and the few child actors who were there were not speaking as per their age; they were just props. We fought for a long time against the lack of women-oriented films and the absence of strong female characters. It took us decades for the so-called big guys in the industry to realise that we need stronger female characters. Now, the time has come to understand what children are and what their world is.”
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