Overview

• Sudipto Sen’s Kerala Story received Best Director and Best Cinematography at India’s 71st National Film Awards.
• Jury member Pradeep Nair said he was the only panelist to object, calling the film defaming propaganda that undermines Kerala’s secular reputation.
• Journalist Jitesh Pillai described the film as one of the worst ever made and accused the jury of rewarding divisive content.
• FTII Students’ Association condemned the awards as a state-backed propaganda weapon aimed at vilifying the Muslim community.
• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the jury of ideological bias and said honoring the film insults Indian cinema’s tradition of communal harmony.