Soubin and Siddharth delivered wonderful performances, says Prakash Raj on Vijayaraghavan missing award

Following the announcement of the 55th Kerala State Film Awards, jury chairman Prakash Raj explained why Vijayaraghavan did not receive the award for his performance in Kishkindha Kaandam. He emphasised that the absence of the prize does not diminish Vijayaraghavan’s stature.

While acknowledging that Vijayaraghavan’s acting was excellent, he said he could not justify selecting his performance over the ones presented by Soubin Shahir and Siddharth Bharathan. He pointed out that this year’s evaluation process covered a full year of films and featured intense competition.

“In ‘Kishkindha Kaandam’ Vijayaraghavan delivered a very good performance. But when I saw Siddharth’s performance in ‘Bramayugam’ and Soubin’s in ‘Manjummel Boys’, I felt that their roles were of such strength that they were wonderful,” Prakash Raj said.

“When we speak of national awards, I don’t believe that the winner is always the best. We are talking about recognition for a year’s worth of films, the state and national film awards. Just because a film or actor didn’t win does not mean the actor is not excellent. It would be unfair to say that we didn’t notice what Tovino and Soubin did,” he added.

He went on to recognise the films ‘Prabhayaay Ninachathalla’ and ‘Paradise’ as excellently crafted attempts to elevate Malayalam cinema to an international plane. He said: “We cannot overlook the effort of director Payal Kapadia, so we awarded it the Special Jury Prize; likewise, we gave one to ‘Paradise’. I also congratulate the young actors in ‘Pani’ for their superb negative roles. It brings me joy that Malayalam cinema now has such young talent.”

Jury’s assessment of performances by Soubin Shahir and Siddharth Bharathan

Soubin Shahir (in ‘Manjummel Boys’)
“For the heartfelt portrayal of a character who bravely confronts imminent crises, stakes his life for friendship, and remains unflinching in the face of adversity.”

Siddharth Bharathan (in ‘Bramayugam’)
“For the immersive representation of a young man forced into the abyss of power’s illusion and compelled to live as a prisoner, delivered with intense commitment.”

Jury’s special mention for acting awarded to Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas

Tovino Thomas (in ‘Ajayante Randam Moshanam’)
“For his outstanding performance in portraying three characters from distinct time periods, each brought to life through differentiated body language.”

Asif Ali (in ‘Kishkindha Kaandam’)
“For his thoroughly natural depiction of a young man trapped in the enigma of a family secret, as he experiences helplessness, agitation and astonishment.”