The 54th Kerala State Film Awards were announced on Friday, with Beena R Chandran sharing the Best Actress honours with Urvashi. Beena, a teacher-turned-actress, won the award for her debut as a full-length character in feature films with Thadavu (The Sentence), directed by Fazil Razak, who also received the Best Debut Director award for the same film.
Reacting to the win, Beena said, "I am incredibly happy right now. I work as a UP school teacher and also participate in theatre plays. Amidst this routine, I have managed to be a part of the film industry as well," adding, "Thadavu was shot during the summer vacation in 2022." Previously, Beena had also acted in two of Fazil's short films, Athiru and Pira, which were screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).
Thadavu, which explored the solitary life of a middle-aged woman in north Kerala, premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) last year in the competition section. The film earned Fazil the honour of Rajata Chakoram for Best Debut Director at the prestigious festival, while also winning the audience poll award for films in competition.
After each screening of Thadavu at the IFFK, many people expressed their expectation that Beena would win the award for Best Actress. "I told them that their words alone were an award for me, and even if I didn't win, it would be okay," recounted the actor.
Sharing the joy of being honoured alongside one of the most renowned actors in the industry, Beena expressed, "Today, I found out that I had won the award while I was teaching. I feel immense gratitude towards the jury for placing me alongside a legend like Urvashi chechi. From a young age, I have been keenly observing and greatly admiring her acting. The jury could have easily overlooked me and given the award solely to Urvashi chechi, so I will always be grateful for their gesture to include me as well."
Beena could not single out just one or two people to dedicate this award to. "Along with my family, the support of my native place and its people has been invaluable, and this achievement is theirs as much as mine. I was the casting director for Thadavu, and the actors were my relatives and fellow villagers," said the actor with pride.
Looking ahead, although she is eager to play more meaningful roles in films, Beena affirmed that she will not leave the stage. She stated, "Theatre is my foundation, and that is what made me who I am as an actor," adding, "Even though I received an offer for another film after Thadavu, I was unable to accept it due to my election duties at the time."
