'Difficult topic...': Gowariker defends 'The Kerala Story's National Award wins
What's the story
The Kerala Story, a heavily controversial film on forced religious conversion, won two awards at the 71st National Film Awards on Friday. The Feature Film Jury, led by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, awarded Best Director to Sudipto Sen and Best Cinematography to Prasantanu Mohapatra. Despite facing bans in some states and widespread protests for its polarizing theme, the film's technical aspects were lauded by the jury. In an interview, Gowariker explained the jury's decision.
Jury's perspective
Gowariker on why the film deserved the awards
Gowariker told NDTV, "One is the cinematography award. The cinematography in The Kerala Story was very stark and realistic. It didn't ever try to overpower the narrative; the images were created within the realm of things." He also highlighted Sen's direction, stating, "It's a difficult topic and to convey that with the kind of clarity that as a jury we felt the need to applaud it."
Producer's reaction
Producer on film winning the National Award
Meanwhile, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah told News18 Showsha, "There's always a desire to get your work recognized. But it's a very tough competition. There are so many great films." "This is the National Award and so, we can't really say that it's our right to win it. We just have to hope that the jury sees our work in that light. And I'm very glad that they've recognized the film."
Kerala CM's anger
'Kerala has been insulted by this decision': Pinarayi Vijayan
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to X on Friday to express his disappointment with the jury's decision. He wrote, "By honoring a film that spreads blatant misinformation with the clear intent of tarnishing Kerala's image and sowing seeds of communal hatred, the jury of the #NationalFilmAwards has lent legitimacy to a narrative rooted in the divisive ideology of the Sangh Parivar." "Kerala...has been gravely insulted by this decision."
Film's journey
Controversial film became one of the biggest hits of 2023
The Kerala Story, starring Adah Sharma, faced backlash and protests due to its polarizing theme and political overtones. However, it resonated with a large section of the audience and emerged as one of the biggest commercial hits of the year. The film is based on alleged real-life incidents about the conversion and radicalization of Hindu women in Kerala for recruitment into ISIS.