Choreographer Kala Master, who served as a jury member in the Feature Films category for the 72nd National Film Awards, has heaped praise on actor-filmmaker Dhanush, revealing that the jury unanimously felt his performance in Captain Miller deserved special recognition.
Speaking to reporters after the National Film Awards were announced, Kala said she was honoured to serve on the jury for the second time and was especially delighted to see Tamil cinema emerge with multiple honours this year.
Reflecting on Dhanush's performance in Captain Miller, she said the actor left a strong impression on the entire jury, including members from North India. According to her, several jurors felt he deserved a Special Jury Award, which ultimately went in his favour. She added that the Best Actor category witnessed intense competition, with Mammootty eventually securing more votes for his performance in Bramayugam. However, the jury did not want Dhanush's work to go unrecognised.
Kala described Dhanush's performance in Captain Miller as extraordinary, saying he had put in immense effort for the role. "Hats off to Dhanush," she said, praising the commitment he brought to the film. She also lauded Dhanush's directorial work in Raayan, which won the National Award for Best Tamil Film. "He directed Raayan so beautifully," she remarked.
Explaining the awards process, Kala noted that the National Film Awards selection takes place in two stages. While an initial jury shortlists the films, the final jury reviews only those recommendations before arriving at the winners through discussions and voting. Stressing that the process is collective, she said the decisions are taken by a panel of around 10 jurors and a chairperson, making it unfair to single out any individual for criticism over the final results.
She also revealed that Tamil films such as Maharaja and Meiyazhagan were among those considered during the selection process. While Raayan won best film, Dhanush received a special mention for Captain Miller.
Kala's comments come after a lot of backlash from audiences for the lack of recognition for certain films at the 72nd National Film Awards. Netizens considered Amaran, Maharaja and Meiyazhagan, among others, more deserving of the Best Film award.
