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Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 4 (IANS) Minister of State for Film and Culture Saji Cherian on Tuesday sought to defend the jury’s decision to not give any awards to children’s films at the 2024 Kerala State Film Awards, while young child actress Deva Nanda criticized the move.
Cherian said that he had personally asked the jury about the omission and was told that “there were four films in the category, and in the final stage, two children’s films were left, but the jury did not find enough creative elements in them to be worthy of the award”.
“Out of the 128 films submitted, only 10 per cent were found to meet the quality standards,” the minister said.
He said, “The jury has suggested that the government should actively promote children’s films, and we will take steps in that direction. The panel was concerned about the falling quality, and the state will do its best to revive and support the segment.”
However, Deva Nanda, one of the state’s most recognized child artistes, took to social media to express his disappointment and argued that children are part of the society and deserve equal recognition.
She posted a clip of jury president and actor Prakash Raj commenting on no children’s film being selected and questioning the logic behind it.
He wrote, “Denying awards and then saying that more films should be made for children is not right.”
Dev Nanda said, “Children had given strong performances in many films like Sthanathi Sreekuttan, Gu, Phoenix and ARM. It is unfair to ignore them and then demand more children’s cinema.”
In his post, he urged authorities not to “close their eyes to the contribution of children” to cinema.
“You can look away from us, but don’t say there is darkness all around,” he wrote, reflecting the disappointment of many in the film fraternity, who felt that this omission had undermined the spirit of inclusivity that Kerala awards have long maintained.
The controversy has now sparked widespread debate on the need for renewed attention and support to children’s cinema in the state.
–IANS
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