Award for Kerala Story: Kerala CM says it's an insult to Indian cinema's legacy

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come down heavily on the jury of the National Film Awards, accusing them of endorsing a film that, according to him, promotes falsehood and communal hatred. He was referring to the controversial film "Kerala Story," which won the Best Director Award.

In a sharp statement, Vijayan said the jury’s decision to honour such a film was an affront to the legacy of Indian cinema, which has long stood for values of secularism and national integration.

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“By granting an award to a film built on lies and designed to defame Kerala while sowing communal discord, the jury has insulted the rich and inclusive tradition of Indian cinema,” Pinarayi said, adding that this move mirrors the Sangh Parivar's agenda to weaponize cinema for ideological propaganda.

However, by granting awards to a film built on falsehoods with the intent of defaming Kerala and spreading communalism, the award jury has insulted the great legacy of Indian cinema, which has stood for communal harmony and national integration, he said.

''This is a reflection of the Sangh Parivar agenda to weaponize cinema as a tool to propagate communal ideology. We strongly protest this move. Every Malayali and every believer in democracy in this country must raise their voice against this injustice. We must unite against the politics that seeks to turn art into a weapon of communal division,'' he said.