This year too the State Film Awards jury followed its ‘custom’ of not recognising the talent that won national acclaim.
Suraj Venjaramoodu, who bagged the national award for the best actor just a couple of days ago, has been ‘identified’ by the State Film Awards jury as the best comedian.
The jury selected him for the award for his performance in the films ‘Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus’ and ‘Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum’.
While many raised their eyebrows, including Dr Biju, the director of ‘Perariyathavar’ which brought the national award for Suraj, the actor himself responded satirically: “I am yet to learn how to act”.
When asked on why Suraj was not considered for the best actor award, Jury chairman Bharathiraja said that there had been no attempt to play down Suraj. “Our selection was genuine. The film ‘Perariyathavar’ was considered in the environment film section by the national award jury. We considered his other movies and the award was given based on the performance in those films,” Bharathiraja told reporters while announcing the awards.
But the Jury chairman could not give a convincing reply for why ‘Perariyathavar’ was not considered for any award. Minister for Cinema Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan tried to ease the situation by saying that next year onwards a separate section would be introduced for environment films. National film award jury chairman Saeed Mirza had said that he never knew Suraj was a comedian. Dr Biju said that the least the state jury could have done was to have not given the comedian award to Venjaramoodu. “By doing so, they have belittled a national award winner,” said Biju.
This year’s decision seemed a repetition of 2011, when Salim Kumar, who was more popular as a comedian, after winning the national award for best actor for the film ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’, was chosen as the best comedian by the jury.
“Nowhere in the world is an award given to the best comedian. I don’t understand why our state awards are being compartmentalised. These are strange things. I had warned Suraj that he should be prepared to take shocks and it has happened as I said,” said Salim Kumar.