The National Film Awards that were announced yesterday has sparked a discussion about The Kerala Story winning the honour for Best Direction and Best Cinematography. The controversial film has been criticised for manipulating facts and has been called a propaganda piece. Now, a jury member of the National Film Awards said that he had raised objections about the film to others.

Filmmaker Pradeep Nair was part of the 11-member jury that was headed by Ashutosh Gowariker. In an interview with Onmanorama, Pradeep opened up about the discussions that took place to choose the film for the award. Pradeep said, “As a Malayali on the panel, I raised serious objections. I questioned how a film that defames a state like Kerala and serves as propaganda could be considered for a national honour. I even conveyed my concerns directly to the jury chairperson. I was the only one who labelled it as propaganda. Others argued that even if it was controversial, it tackled a relevant social issue.”

In an interview with NDTV, Ashutosh spoke about the film winning the Best Direction award and said, “It is a difficult topic and to convey that with the kind of clarity that as a jury we felt the need to applaud it.”

The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen and starring Adah Sharma in the lead, tells a story of a young girl studying in college who is forced into converting to Islam. The film’s one-sided and manipulative portrayal was heavily criticised upon release.  

CE’s review of the film reads, “Director Sudipto Sen, who has co-written the film with Suryapal Singh and Vipul Amrutlal Shah, shows no subtlety whatsoever. The makers show their true colours as they unapologetically portray every Muslim character in the film as a fanatic. They are shown demeaning other religions and instilling a fear of Allah in them.”