Shoojit Sircar isn’t here for the drama around this year’s National Film Awards. With people debating whether Shah Rukh Khan deserved Best Actor for Jawan, or if The Kerala Story should’ve won Best Film, Sircar’s response is simple: relax, that’s what the jury’s for.
“Filmmaking is personal, not math”: Sircar urges respect for jury decisions amid award backlash
Speaking from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where he’s part of the short-film jury, Sircar made it clear that judging cinema isn’t some checklist exercise. “It’s never easy,” he said. “You’re not just looking at camera angles and acting. You’re feeling the film, its impact, its voice, what stays with you. And that’s deeply personal.”
He knows how it feels when things don’t go your way. A few years back, his own film Sardar Udham didn’t get selected for a major festival. “Did I agree? No. But I respected the jury’s call. That’s how this works.”
“Awards aren’t about popularity”: Sircar says it’s okay to disagree, but respect the jury
As for the outrage over Shah Rukh’s win or The Kerala Story sweeping big awards, Sircar thinks the noise is missing the point. “People forget that awards aren’t about popular opinion. They’re about what a specific group of people the jury sees and feels in that moment. You might not agree, and that’s fine. But constantly questioning every choice just kills the whole spirit of it.”
At the end of the day, art isn’t black and white. It’s messy, emotional, and completely subjective. Sircar’s message? Trust the process, even when you don’t love the outcome. Not everything needs to be a battle.
A jury is a set of well known and well qualified people. It’s okay to disagree to a decision but disrespecting isn’t a fair thing to do. All movies made put a huge effort for it to be liked and known.
Life isn’t black and white and it’s okay, raising questions can’t change anything that has already happened.
