Actor Chandu Salimkumar made a serious allegation against the National Film Awards and the BJP following the announcement of the awards on Saturday. The actor took to his Instagram Stories space and questioned the integrity of the award ceremony. According to him, the fact that Mammootty won Best Actor for his performance in Bramayugam is an anomaly in this current cinematic landscape where politics influence these decisions.
Responding to Mammootty's win, Chandu Salimkumar shared, "Imagine the aura of winning a National Award when it's being handed out to the ruling party's friends and family, yet they still can't ignore you—because yours was simply the best performance in the country." Mammootty shared the award with Kartik Aaryan, who also won Best Actor for Chandu Champion.
Chandu Salimkumar also shared a detailed post, where he insinuated that the awards have been given for "many ordinary films" and would mislead future generations.
He added, "If the answer people keep giving is that awards were influenced by proximity to the ruling party rather than talent, then that's what history will remember." Noting that "awards are supposed to outlive governments" and "should stand as proof of artistic excellence," he said, "if people lose faith in that, history won't remember these as the finest films of their time."
It is worth noting that Chandu Salimkumar stars in Manjummel Boys, which did not win any accolade at the National Awards, despite being critically acclaimed and commercially successful. Chandu's accusation against the government also comes at a time when audiences have been casting serious doubts over the credibility of the awards ceremony. They criticised the jury's recognition for films such as Sukumar-Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule, Kartik Aaryan, Dhanush's Raayan over other candidates. Many put out posts on social media, questioning the lack of awards for films such as Meiyazhagan, Manjummel Boys and Kishkindha Kaandam. They have also wondered why writer-producer Aditya Dhar's Article 370, a film accused of propaganda, has been awarded Best Feature Film.
