Actor Trisha shared a cryptic post after her critically acclaimed film ’96 was snubbed at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, announced on Thursday for the years 2016–2022. The film achieved only one award for Devadarshini in the Best Comedy Actress category. Taking to her Instagram stories, she wrote, "'96" along with a crown and an infinity symbol. In another post, she re-shared an old post where she was seen posing with all the awards she received for her role in the film with a caption, "Forever grateful." While her post hinted at her disappointment for the film achieving only one award, she has also underlined that '96 will remain one of her top films and has expressed her gratitude for the movie's impact in her career.
Several social media users had also shared their disappointment on the film missing out on the state award. When one user probed the awards committee on why singer Chinmayi did not get an award for the film, the singer wrote, "I am grateful for the opportunities at this point. Not expecting anything while I am banned, truth be told. '96 as a film and as a song will live long beyond any award that’s conferred or not and that would be my greatest gift on its own. Anything else is a bonus, the biggest gift is to be able to sing a composition like that." For the unversed, the singer sang all the songs in the film, which went on to become memorable hits. She also voiced Trisha's character in the film.
Released in 2018, '96, directed by Prem Kumar, starred Trisha and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles while newcomers Gouri G Kishan and Aadithya Bhaskar played the younger versions. The film also stars an ensemble cast including Bagavathi Perumal, Devadarshini, Aadukalam Murugadoss, and others. The film revolves around the reunion of former students from the batch of 1996, twenty-two years after their graduation. The reunion also serves as an opportunity for two former lovers, Ram and Jaanu, to resolve issues surrounding their separation. The film was critically and commercially well received. It was remade by Preetham Gubbi in Kannada as 99 (2019), and by Prem Kumar himself in Telugu as Jaanu (2020).
A sequel for the film is in the works with Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha expected to come back, reprising their roles as Ram and Janu, respectively. However, the film's makers are yet to officially confirm the same.