Overview

• Sircar rejected external debate over Shah Rukh Khan’s Best Actor award and The Kerala Story’s Best Film win by affirming that verdicts belong exclusively to the appointed jury.
• He argued that award outcomes mirror personal sensibilities because artistic judgment cannot be measured by objective standards.
• He recommended that questions about who serves on the jury and their perspectives should be raised before winners are announced.
• He drew on his role as a jury member at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne to explain how jurors weigh technical craft, social relevance and directorial vision when evaluating films.
• He cited his acceptance of the jury’s decision when Sardar Udham was omitted from the 2021 IFFI panorama as an example of respecting the finality of award processes.