55th Kerala State Film Awards: Here's why the jury members are keeping mum about different opinions over the winners

55th Kerala State Film Awards - A member disclosed to OTTplay, under the condition of anonymity, that they have a six-month NDA in place to remain silent about any comments regarding the awards.

Announcement of 55th Kerala State Film Awards

The 55th Kerala State Film Awards were announced on November 3, recognising the best talents from the Malayalam film industry. Even amid a slew of congratulatory messages, there have been a lot of differing opinions about the winners' list, as anticipated. But the jury members have not officially responded to the many issues raised, including about child artistes not being honoured and for picking artistes, accused of sexual misconduct, as winners. Here's why the jury members aren't addressing these concerns.

Jury members' silence on differing opinion

A jury member disclosed to OTTplay, under the condition of anonymity, that they have a six-month NDA in place to remain silent about the awards and not to make any comments regarding them. As a result, they are unable to express their opinions on any controversy, sparked online or in media outlets. Prakash Raj led the panel with Ranjan Pramod, Bhagyalakshmi, Jibu Jacob, Santhosh Aechikkanam, Gayatri Asokan, Nithin Lukose, and C Ajoy as jury members.

In the meantime, director and cinematographer Jibu Jacob, another panellist, stated that people should stop discussing the past and that he fully supports the jury chairman's and the other members' decisions. Instead of talking about what has been done, he said, filmmakers should concentrate on bringing in top-notch content and technical components to the cinema.

Also Read: Shruthi Sharanyam on 55th Kerala State Film Awards: 'Jury took a male-centric approach...'| Exclusive

Differing reactions on 55th Kerala State Film Awards

Director of B 32 Muthal 44 Vare, Shruthi Sharanyam, claimed in an exclusive interview with OTTplay that the jury's method of choosing the winners was biased towards men. Shruthi went on to argue that rather than being restricted to one or two categories, films like All We Imagine As Light and Feminichi Fathima ought to receive greater recognition. She further emphasised that the panel completely ignored the 2024 Malayalam film Victoria, which received numerous awards at foreign film festivals.

Acclaimed screenwriter Deedi Damodaran also criticised the panel for awarding Vedan the Best Lyricist prize despite the fact that he was accused of sexual harassment. A young musician recently filed a lawsuit alleging that the young Malayalam rapper mistreated her when he brought her to his flat in 2020 under the pretence of listening to music. Another complaint claimed that he had harassed a woman sexually with the false promise of marrying her. Not considering Sthanarthi Sreekuttan for the Best Child Artist category has also sparked discussions among netizens and the film's makers.

FAQs

Q. Who has won the Kerala Best Actor Award?

A. Mammootty has won the Best Actor Award at the 55th Kerala State Film Awards, announced on Monday by the government. The veteran actor won the award for the performance in Bramayugam.

Q. Who is the Best Actress in Kerala State Film Awards?

A. Shamla Hamza wins the Best Actress Award for the critically acclaimed film Feminichi Fathima.

Q. Who are the actors in Victoria?

A. Important roles in Victoria are played by Meenakshi Jayan, Sreeshma Chandran, Jolly Chirayath, Steeja Mary, Darsana Vikas, Jeena Rajeev, and Remadevi.

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