Fans outraged as Mammootty’s ‘Peranbu’ gets a raw deal in Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

Criticism has intensified over the Tamil Nadu government’s announcement of the State Film Awards for 2016–2022, with fans alleging that acclaimed performances by Mammootty and child actor Sadhana in ‘Peranbu’ were unfairly overlooked.
Directed by Ram, ‘Peranbu’ (2018) starred Mammootty in the lead and went on to earn widespread critical acclaim, including international-level recognition. The film featured one of Mammootty’s most moving performances, as Amudhan, a vulnerable father bringing up his daughter who lives with spastic paralysis. Defined by emotional restraint and quiet intensity, the role was widely hailed as extraordinary. Fans have since reacted strongly, accusing the Tamil Nadu government of overlooking a performance that had drawn unanimous praise from critics and audiences alike.

For the year 2018, Dhanush was chosen by the Tamil Nadu government for the Best Actor award for his role in ‘Vada Chennai.’ However, fans have taken to social media arguing that Mammootty was more deserving of the award. They have also pointed out that Sadhana, who played Mammootty’s daughter in ‘Peranbu,’ delivered a remarkable performance but was not considered for any honour. Criticism has also been raised that ‘Peranbu,’ despite being widely acclaimed as one of the year’s finest films, did not receive a single award.
The Tamil Nadu government has now announced the State Film Awards for the years from 2016 to 2022. While Malayalam actors dominated the Best Actress category across these years, artistes from Kerala also made their presence felt in other major categories. Urvashi has won the award for Best Comedian while Rahman has been named Best Villain. Vaikom Vijayalakshmi and Varsha Ranjith have been honoured as Best Playback Singers.