Director and National Award jury member MB Padmakumar has revealed that not a single film starring Mammootty was submitted for this year’s awards, amid the controversy surrounding his snub. In the eligible year, Mammootty had delivered acclaimed performances in several films. The 70th National Film Awards were announced yesterday and what shocked many was the exclusion of Mammootty, who has been on a phenomenal run at the movies.
MB Padmakumar told Manorama Online that filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery’s acclaimed 2022 drama Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam was a strong contender for the National Awards, especially for Mammootty’s performance, but added that the “truth is that not a single film starring Mammootty was submitted for consideration this year.”
Padmakumar, who served on the South Jury for the National Awards, addressed controversy around the iconic star being sidelined, and added, “People are quick to blame the government, but the fact is that Mammootty’s films were simply not submitted. We need to ask who made this decision.”
The filmmaker reiterated that there was “no external influence” and even if there was any interference, “it did not come from the government.” Padmakumar said people turning the situation to create a “negative narrative” was “painful,” and added, “The failure to submit such a remarkable film for consideration is a significant mistake. This was not just a loss for Mammootty, but or Malayalam cinema as well.”
The Malayalam-language drama Aattam won the Best Feature Film award, while Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award, and the Best Actress honour was shared by Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh.
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