Ever since the National Film Awards were announced, there have been many criticisms against the jury's decision to recognise The Kerala Story with Best Director and Best Cinematography. Actor Farra Shibla, known for her roles in Kakshi: Amminippilla (2019) and Kerala Crime Files 2, is the latest to come out against the jury and the film. In a lengthy post, Farra said that the film is undeserving of its two wins at the 71st National Film Awards. The film presented filmmaker Sudipto Sen and DOP Prasantanu Mohapatra with wins in the Best Direction and Best Cinematography categories, respectively.
"The National Film Awards are the most prestigious honors in Indian cinema, celebrating outstanding contributions and excellence in filmmaking. However, The Kerala Story falls short of these standards," Farra wrote. She added, "The film's narrative is a fabrication with no basis in reality, failing to represent the true essence of Kerala, its language, customs, traditions, or cultural heritage." The actor emphasised the critiques against the film on artistic merit, especially in terms of its content, cinematography, and performances. She echoed the sentiments of many while sharing that the recognition for the film is "troubling" for a person who lives in Kerala.
Saying that the film's "political agenda is evident," she underlined the responsibility that artists have "to speak out" against films that "spread misinformation and distort reality." Her long post ended by suggesting that the National Film Awards "uphold the highest standards of artistic excellence and integrity" and arguing that "awarding undeserving films can tarnish tarnish the reputation of these esteemed awards and undermine the trust of the artistic community."
Farra's Kakshi: Amminippilla director, Kishkindha Kaandam fame Dinjith Ayyathan has shared her post on his Instagram Stories, thereby endorsing her views on the matter. Earlier, Kerala's CM Pinarayi Vijayan, actor Ranjini, and jury member and filmmaker Pradeep Nair criticised the decision to award the film with Best Director and Best Cinematography. The film has been in cultural and artistic discourse ever since its trailer's released, especially for its problematic claim about the alleged conversion of 32,000 women from the Christian and Hindu communities into Islam to enlist them into ISIS. The gross fabrication of facts, which contradicted government data, forced the film's makers to change the figure from 32,000 to three.