Sudipto Sen, after the 71st National Film Awards, expressed his mixed feelings: proud of his own win as Best Director, but disappointed that his film The Kerala Story was not given enough attention. In a recent interview, he then expressed displeasure that lead actress Adah Sharma was undeserving of receiving the Best Actress award for her brilliant performance.
The movie, which has been hotly debated since its release, received two national awards, the other being Prasantanu Mohapatra for Best Cinematography. Sen believes that all the hard work of his entire crew, starting from the writer to the makeup man, could have been recognized on a larger platform. He noted that the film’s continued relevance and box office success, even two years after its release, are a testament to its technical quality and impact on the audience.
The Best Actress Category
The director’s comments highlight the ongoing debates regarding film critics and the Best Actress category at the National Awards. Adah Sharma’s portrayal of Shalini Unnikrishnan has garnered accolades universally for its emotional complication and depth. It was indeed a difficult and tremendously taxing role, that from a rather innocent college girl to a radicalized citizen–whoever thought that Sharma’s performance would be a career-altering one for her.
Her ability to express vulnerability, fear, and a lost sense reached a whole segment of the audience. The fact that the jury decided to award another actress over Sharma has left many, including Sen, wondering about the basis of the criteria and decisions made.
Impact on Film and Critical Acclaim
The Kerala Story, which has comfortably sat among box-office record shatters and is among the highest-grossing female-led films ever, has endless controversies regarding its narration. A more potent technical and entertaining film after its box-office performance and national awards for direction and cinematography. Sen holds that the awards were a vindication of the artistic worth of the film, and an overwhelming refutation of its critics, who dubbed it as “propaganda.”
He believes that the national awards justify the years of hard work and research that were involved in making the film and is an indication that a movie about a contemporary social issue can succeed both commercially and critically.
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