THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Recalling the rare privilege of working alongside P Padmarajan, actor Mohanlal said his works have stood the test of time. He was speaking at the 34th Padmarajan Award ceremony, held at Tagore Theatre and jointly organised by Air India Express and the Padmarajan Trust.
“It was mine and Mammootty’s good fortune to be part of films made by filmmakers like Padmarajan and I V Sasi. Those films made us who we are today. I consider it a blessing to have acted in five of Padmarajan’s films. His works, like Thoovanathumbikal, are still being discussed more today than at the time of their release which is a proof of how timeless they are. When a creator’s work endures across decades, it is the greatest fulfilment an artist can receive,” said Mohanlal.
The award ceremony coincided with the 80th birth anniversary of Padmarajan. The event also honoured the many technical collaborators who worked with him over the years.
The Padmarajan Award for Best Novel was awarded to S Hareesh for Pattunool Puzhu, and the Best Short Story award went to P S Rafeeque for Idamalayile Yakoob.
The Best Director and Best Screenplay Awards were presented to Fazil Muhammad for his film Feminichi Fathima.
Mohanlal handed over the awards, which included a citation, cash prize, and memento. In the literary section, Aishwarya Kamal received the third edition of the Air India Express ‘Tales of India’ Award, presented for a remarkable debut work. Her novel Virus was selected for the honour. The award includes a crystal sculpture inspired by the tail design of an Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft and a round-trip ticket to any Air India Express destination.
The film jury was chaired by filmmaker T K Rajeev Kumar, with cinematographer S Kumar and film critic Vijayakrishnan serving as members. The literary jury was led by G R Indugopan, along with Pradeep Panangad and Unni R.