'I am an artist. You all seem to have forgotten that,' Rima Kallingal reacts after winning award

Actor Rima Kallingal, who recently won the Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Actor (Female) for her role in ‘Theatre: The Myth of Reality’, has expressed disappointment over the focus of media questions directed at her. Despite her recent accolade for her performance, Kallingal was instead asked to comment on the new leadership in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

While she conveyed her support for the changes within AMMA, Kallingal remarked that the attention on organisational matters rather than her artistic achievements was disheartening. “I just won an award for my performance in my film, but no questions have been asked about my film. I am an artist first; everyone seems to have forgotten that. I am at that point in my life right now,” she said, when asked about the possibility of rejoining AMMA.

Rima won the award for her performance in director Sajin Baabu’s’Theatre: The Myth of Reality’, which earlier earned international acclaim with its trailer launch at Cannes. The movie was honoured with two awards, with Pramod Veliyanad also receiving the Special Jury Award 2024 for his compelling role.

Written, directed, and scripted by Sajin Baabu, Theatre explores the fragile boundaries between myth and reality, bringing to life the fading traditions and mystical undercurrents of Kerala. Produced by Anjana Philip and Philip Zackaria under the banner of Anjana Talkies, with Santhosh Kottayi as co-producer, the film draws its power not just from its performances but also from its deeply crafted visual and sonic landscape.

The frames have been captured by cinematographer Syamaprakash M S, the editing by Appu Bhattathiri, and the music composed by Saeed Abbas.