National Awards: Jury member reveals why 'Aadujeevitham' didn't win
What's the story
The 71st National Film Awards, announced on Friday evening, have sparked a debate over the selection of winners in certain categories. One of the films that missed out on an award was Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film was submitted for multiple awards but failed to secure any wins. Now, jury member and filmmaker Pradeep Nair has opened up about why it didn't win any awards.
Jury's perspective
Jury felt the movie lacked authenticity
Nair revealed that jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker wasn't entirely convinced by Aadujeevitham. He told Onmanorama, "He had seen the movie at a previous film festival in Goa and had serious concerns about the film's adaptation and execution." "Gowariker and others also felt the adaptation lacked naturality and the performances didn't feel authentic." The film was also under consideration for Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics (for Rafeeq Ahammed's Periyone Rahmane).
Praise
KR Gokul's performance earned praise from jury
Nair further revealed that the jury was impressed with KR Gokul's performance. "KR Gokul's character [from The Goat Life] was widely appreciated for its freshness and impact. Still, he was not awarded [due to the overall quality of the film]." The film, a passion project for Sukumaran, was directed by Blessy.
Other winners
'Ullozhukku' was consistent across all departments
In contrast, Ullozhukku was lauded for its consistent excellence across all departments, which earned it the Best Malayalam Film award. Nair commented, "Every element of it, from writing to direction and technical execution, was appreciated, which is why it won Best Malayalam Film." The film was also considered for Best Director and Best Actress (Parvathy Thiruvothu). Its cinematography by Shehnad Jalal was in contention but ultimately lost out to The Kerala Story in the latter category.
Disappointment with 'TKS'
'The Kerala Story serves as propaganda': Nair
Nair also revealed his disappointment with The Kerala Story's dual wins. He said, "I raised serious objections. I questioned how a film that defames Kerala and serves as propaganda could be considered for a national honor. I even conveyed my concerns directly to the jury chairperson." "However, I was the only one who labelled it as propaganda. Others argued that even if it was controversial, it tackled a relevant social issue." Sudipto Sen won Best Director for the film.