Why some of Malayalam cinema's biggest talking points missed the National Awards

Every year, the National Film Awards leave behind two lists. One celebrates the films that won. The other, often assembled by audiences and critics alike, consists of the films that many believed would find a place but did not. Neither list is definitive. Awards, after all, are shaped by the perspectives of a jury and the priorities of a particular moment. Yet some omissions inevitably become part of the conversation.

The 72nd National Film Awards have done just that.

For Malayalam cinema, the awards were by no means disappointing. Mammootty received his fourth National Award for Best Actor for 'Bramayugam', which also won Best Cinematography. 'Feminichi Fathima' was named Best Malayalam Film, while Vaikom Vijayalakshmi won Best Female Playback Singer for 'ARM'. It was a respectable showing for an industry that has consistently punched above its weight.

What lingered after the announcements, however, was another question. In a year that produced some of Malayalam cinema's most discussed films, why did titles such as 'Manjummel Boys' and 'Kishkindha Kaandam' remain outside the winners' circle?

Veteran film critic and National Award winner V K Joseph believes the discussion is bigger than individual films.

"The purpose of the National Awards, or any major film award, is to introduce audiences to the finest cinema being made in the country. They were never meant to honour only the films that received the loudest applause in theatres. Their role is to recognise works that reflect the cultural and technical evolution of Indian cinema," Joseph told Onmanorama.

Joseph's observation shifts the conversation away from disappointment and towards expectation. The debate is not whether every successful film deserves a National Award. It is whether the awards continue to reflect the breadth of cinematic innovation taking place across industries.

That is perhaps why 'Manjummel Boys' keeps returning to the discussion.

On the surface, Chidambaram's film is a survival thriller based on the real-life rescue of a group of friends at the Guna Caves. But its achievement lay in how it resisted the conventions of the genre. There was no larger-than-life hero. Instead, it drew its emotional strength from an ensemble of ordinary young men whose friendship became the story's driving force. The film trusted its characters enough to spend time with them before tragedy struck, ensuring that the rescue was felt as an emotional ordeal rather than simply a spectacle.

Its filmmaking displayed similar restraint. The cave became a character in itself through immersive sound design, controlled cinematography and measured pacing. Even as it emerged as the first Malayalam film to cross the ₹200 crore mark worldwide, its greatest accomplishment was not commercial. It demonstrated that a deeply local story, told without altering its cultural identity, could resonate across linguistic and geographical boundaries.

If 'Manjummel Boys' expanded the possibilities of Malayalam cinema's reach, 'Kishkindha Kaandam' exemplified its confidence in quieter storytelling.

'Kishkindha Kaandam' was the kind of film that trusted its audience. It didn't rush to reveal its secrets. Instead, it quietly planted clues throughout the narrative, rewarding viewers who stayed attentive. Every object, every conversation and every pause acquired meaning as the story progressed. Rather than relying on constant twists, the screenplay rewarded patience, asking audiences to participate in the act of discovery.

At the centre of that mystery was an intimate family drama. Questions of memory, grief and guilt gradually replaced the mechanics of suspense, allowing the film to arrive at an ending that was emotionally devastating precisely because it had been so carefully earned. Asif Ali delivered one of the most nuanced performances of his career, while Vijayaraghavan's portrayal of an ageing father living with memory loss became one of the year's most affecting performances.

It is difficult to ignore that both films arrived at their achievements through entirely different cinematic languages. One found scale in collective emotion and technical precision. The other embraced minimalism, trusting writing and performance over dramatic flourish. Together, they reflected the remarkable range that Malayalam cinema displayed in 2024.

Joseph extends this argument beyond Malayalam cinema. He points to Mari Selvaraj's 'Vaazhai' and C Prem Kumar's 'Meiyazhagan' as films whose limited recognition also surprised many observers. "Things have changed over the years," Joseph says. "Recognition no longer goes only to the films many would consider the strongest artistic achievements."

That remains his assessment, not an established conclusion. The feature film jury, led by filmmaker Jayaraj, has maintained that the selections were made solely on cinematic merit and that politics played no role in the decision-making process. As with every edition of the National Awards, differing views on the final list are perhaps inevitable.

If anything, this year's debate says as much about Malayalam cinema as it does about the awards themselves.