Prakash Raj bats for quality in Malayalam cinema, criticises National Award system

Holding that Mammootty still gives the youngest actors a run for their money, actor Prakash Raj, who chaired the jury of the 55th Kerala State Film Awards, said the veteran star was chosen for the Best Actor Award not for his seniority, but for continuing to set a benchmark of excellence that even the younger generation can learn from.

His remarks came while reflecting on the challenges the jury faced in finalising the awardees and addressing some of the concerns surrounding Malayalam cinema today. Prakash Raj expressed particular regret that the jury could not present awards for Best Children’s Film and Best Child Actor this year.

Analysing the 128 films that came up for consideration, Prakash Raj observed that only about 10 per cent met the quality standards expected for the State Awards.
He also expressed gratitude to his fellow jury members, who stood by him through 10 days of viewing and evaluation to fulfil this significant responsibility.

''Thank you for entrusting me with this great responsibility as the jury chairman of the State Film Awards. It was never an easy task, but my excellent colleagues on the jury made it manageable. My sincere gratitude to each of them for their support.

"When I came here, I imagined spending 10 days in a library, watching and studying what happened in Malayalam cinema in 2024. I truly enjoyed this 10-day journey with my fellow jury members. I believe that the decisions we reached have done justice to Malayalam cinema and satisfied its fans,” he said.

''This year, we could not present awards for the Best Children’s Film or Best Child Actor — not because we didn’t want to, but because there simply weren’t any deserving entries. Not even an attempt was made to create a good film for children.

"So, I take this opportunity to request my friends in the film industry to make at least one good movie for children by the next time the jury meets. Writers and directors must understand that our society is not made up only of adults and youth — children too are a vital part of it. Their perceptions, thoughts, imagination, and world deserve to find a place in cinema.

"There’s no point in casting children just to show that the hero and heroine have kids. That is not a children’s film. We need stories that reflect what children are thinking. Children are an essential part of our society's evolution, but none of the movies we watched addressed their world.

''We have long discussed the lack of women-oriented films and worked hard to change that. It took decades for society to understand that women-centric cinema is important. In the same way, it’s high time we began to understand and explore the world of children. As Jury Chairman, my appeal is to please make films for children too.''

He also spoke about the fewer films that met the expected quality benchmarks. ''I wanted to understand what’s happening here. Is the decline in quality because many of the big names are migrating to other language industries or focusing more on pan-Indian projects? If that’s the case, I would like to remind them that they should also maintain loyalty to their own language. After all, it was here that they took their baby steps in cinema.''

But the top 10 per cent of films stood out for their excellence in direction, screenplay, editing, and cinematography. ''Watching the finesse of that 10 per cent made me wish that more such films were being made in Malayalam,'' he said.

"Making Manjummel Boys into a film was indeed a tough task. It’s because of that brilliance that the movie went on to win so many awards. We couldn’t have considered it for more simply because it had already won several. They truly deserved every one of them,'' he said.
Prakash Raj paid high praise to Mammootty.

''He continues to compete with the youngest actors around. We never considered him a senior artist. In fact, that thought never even occurred to us while choosing him for the award. His performance in Bramayugam was marked by a strong presence and powerful micro-acting. The younger generation should watch and learn from this.

''When we saw performances like Tovino Thomas in Ajayante Randam Moshanam and Asif Ali in the four films we reviewed, we could sense the huge effort they’re putting into refining their craft. Perhaps their dedication to staging excellent performances is also inspiring great artists like Mammootty and Mohanlal.

"Watching Mammootty’s presence and nuanced acting in Bramayugam, I must admit that I felt a touch of envy myself. He truly deserves this award. This is not a charity organisation to distribute awards to everyone. They are meant to recognise only those who are relevant.''

Prakash Raj also criticised the current state of the National Film Awards. ''The National Film Awards system has become compromised. I felt immense joy when the Kerala government reached out to me, saying they needed an experienced outsider and assuring me of full freedom to take independent decisions. Such autonomy is no longer seen at the national level.

"Today, we see ‘files and bundles’ winning awards there. I must say that such a national government or such a jury does not deserve an artist like Mammootty.''

He urged the government to take the lead in producing more Malayalam films. ''I recall that the jury made a similar suggestion last year as well. It would be a great initiative if the government came forward with a plan for this. The government should create more opportunities for young artists, ensuring that the taxpayers’ money is also used to support cinema.

When films are made with public funds, they must meet high standards of quality because, in such cases, the true producers are the people themselves. The films in 2024 were evaluated through the collective effort and cooperation of all jury members. My sincere gratitude to everyone who stood by me in this endeavour,'' Prakash Raj said.