Prithviraj responds to National Awards snub for ‘Aadujeevitham’: ‘films not made for jury’
Actor says it is the audience who matters and in that sense viewers by coming and watching his film in theatres have given it the biggest award
Amid a massive outrage over the snubbing of south Indian films at the 71st National Film Awards, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, whose film Aadujeevitham- The Goat Life, was also among the films overlooked by the awards committee, has said that the true measure of a film’s success isn’t determined by a jury but its audience.
Also read: Aadujeevitham review: A survival drama, fuelled by high-octane performances
‘Films not made for panel of 10 people’
“Films are not made for some jury or a panel of 10 people to evaluate,” Prithviraj said while speaking at a recent event in Sharjah.
“The ultimate goal is for audiences to come to theatres and enjoy them. In that sense, the viewers have already given the biggest award to this film. For that, I am thankful to the audience,” he said.
The film's exclusion from the awards had previously drawn significant criticism online. Despite being a major box-office hit, winning nine Kerala State Film Awards, and being submitted in 14 categories, Aadujeevitham did not secure a single National Award.
Actors slam jury, cite Empuraan row
While fans raised the issue, slamming the jury over its alleged bias, of late, several South Indian actors have also come forward to register their protest.
Actor Urvashi recently called out the jury of the National Awards for awarding her and actor Vijayaraghavan in the Best Supporting Actor category even though they played lead characters in Ullozhukku and Pookkaalam, respectively.
Watch: Is cinema losing its freedom? Empuraan controversy riles Kerala
Urvashi also alleged that southern actors were treated in such a step-motherly way due to the row over Mohanlal’s L2: Empuraan which was slammed by right wing groups for its alleged “anti-Hindu” and negative narrative about the BJP.