Sudipto Sen claims 'Aadujeevitham' lost national awards for using VFX, criticised for remark

Director Sudipto Sen, who recently won the National Film Award for Best Director for the film ‘The Kerala Story’, has stirred controversy by claiming that Blessy’s film Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) lost out on the National Award for Best Cinematography because many of its visuals were created using VFX. Responding to a comment from an Instagram user who questioned Sen Sudipto's national award win, the filmmaker wrote:
"Do you know why an award is given for cinematography? I also liked Aadujeevitham. But the visuals in the film were created with VFX. Please listen to what the jury said while conferring the award. Sir, just because Instagram gives you the opportunity to write anything, that doesn't mean you should. There's an English saying: ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing.’ You're from Kerala—we expect more sensible things from Keralites."

An Instagram user Carl Lafrenais swiftly responded to Sen’s remarks, pointing out the flawed logic in disqualifying films based on VFX usage. "That’s exactly why Blade Runner 2049—which was packed with VFX—won the Oscar for Best Cinematography. It’s why `Life of Pi, Gravity, and Dune—all heavy on CGI—also won in the same category. If VFX automatically disqualified a film from awards, half of cinema’s greatest visual achievements wouldn’t even be in the conversation.

And as for your lecture about Instagram 'giving people the right to write anything'—yes, it does. It's called freedom of expression. A little understanding of democracy might help too. And for the love of cinema, please don’t compare your ‘movie’ to Aadujeevitham.”

The National Film Awards came under criticism after the jury overlooked films like ‘Aadujeevitham’ with 'The Kerala Story', which eventually won the National Award for Best Cinematography. 'The Kerala Story' was accused of being a propaganda movie.