Netizens call out lack of National Film Awards for Meiyazhagan

There have been a lot of backlash from audiences for the lack of recognition for certain films at the 72nd National Film Awards ever since its jury chief, filmmaker Jayaraj, made the announcements on Saturday. The jury's selection of some films over others have come under much scrutiny, especially in major categories. As it pertains to Tamil cinema, the main topic of contention has been the decision to not give any major award for director C Prem Kumar's Meiyazhagan, starring Aravind Swamy and Karthi, among others.

It is worth noting that Suren G received a Special Mention for his sound design work in Meiyazhagan. However, it has not gone down well with the audience that it has not received any other award. Audiences have been bringing appreciation posts for Prem Kumar's film, saying that it would have even won an Oscar if it was made in another language, such as Korean. Some of them have also brought up actor Nani's comment about it being his favourite film of the past decade.

The conversation is not limited to the Aravind Swamy-Karti starrer alone. Some of the viewers have been questioning the decision to recognise certain films, such as Raayan (Best Tamil Film), Pushpa 2: The Rule (Best Original Screenplay for Sukumar), Article 370 (Best Film, Best Actress for Yami Gautam).

At the same time, viewers also do not understand the lack of recognition for films such as Maharaja and Kishkindha Kaandam in major categories. Kishkindha Kaandam did not win in any category, whereas Maharaja earned Anl Arasu Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography) and Sachana Namidass a Best Supporting Actress award. However, the viewers argue that it would have been better to present Maharaja with Best Tamil Film instead of Raayan. Meanwhile, they say that Vikram (Thangalaan), Asif Ali (Kishkindha Kaandam) or Karthi (Meiyazhagan) deserved a Best Actor award over Chandu Champion star Kartik Aaryan, who shared his win with Mammootty (Bramayugam).