THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
Experimental cinema held the centre stage at the 52nd Kerala State Film Awards, which were declared here on Friday, with debutant Krishand R.K. scooping up the award for the Best Film and Best Original Screenplay for his film Avasavyooham, which raised questions on development and environmental concerns through a protagonist who transforms into a frog.
Krishnendu Kalesh won the award for Best Debut Director for his film Prappeda (Hawk's Muffin), a wildly experimental film which eludes classification and exists free of genre boundaries, highlighting issues related to war, plunder of land and oppressive controls by dictatorial minds.
Top honours
Dileesh Pothan won the award for the Best Director for Joji, a perceptive study of the slow unravelling of a criminal mind. Syam Pushkaran won the award for the Best Adapted Screenplay for Joji’s script based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
Revathi won the Award for the Best Actor (Female) for her portrayal of a mother battling depression and struggling to understand her son who is also having mental health issues in Bhoothakalam.
The Best Actor (Male) award was shared between Biju Menon, who aced the role of a 73-year-old, making us feel the weight of the age in his demeanor and voice in Aarkkariyam, and Joju George, for a range of performances in Nayattu, Madhuram, Thuramukham and Freedom Fight.
Sumesh Moor's power-packed performance of a marginalised man's fightback against an oppressor in Kala won him the award for the Best Character Actor (Male), while Unnimaya Prasad's performance in Joji won her the Best Character Actor (Female) award.
Nishiddho, directed by Tara Ramanujam, one of the two movies produced last year under the Kerala State Film Development Corporation's project to promote women filmmakers, shared the award for the Second Best Film with Chavittu, directed by Rahman Brothers.
Sheer variety
Screenwriter and filmmaker Saeed Akhtar Mirza, who headed the jury, said the jury was amazed by the sheer variety of themes and subjects being tackled in Malayalam cinema.
The jury had a difficult choice to make in selecting the awards for the best film and the best actors, he said. A total of 142 films were submitted for the award. Two subcommittees viewed the initial submissions and shortlisted 29 films, which were viewed by the main jury, which also recalled two films - Bhoothakalam and Antharam.
To a question on whether the Jury had chosen to ignore Home as its producer Vijay Babu is currently absconding following a rape allegation, Mr. Mirza said the issue did not influence the jury's decision.
Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian declared the awards.
