After Urvashi, Jeo Baby SLAMS National Film Awards: 'Standards Have Fallen...'
Filmmaker Jeo Baby questions the credibility of the National Film Awards, criticises The Kerala Story, and says politically driven films are being rewarded.
The recently announced National Film Awards have sparked significant backlash, especially from members of the South Indian film industry. At the heart of the controversy are questions about credibility, merit, and alleged political bias. Many have expressed dismay over Shah Rukh Khan winning Best Actor for Jawan instead of acclaimed performances by Mammootty in Kaathal – The Core and Prithviraj Sukumaran in Aadujeevitham. The recognition given to The Kerala Story—a film widely criticized for peddling propaganda—has only intensified the criticism.
Filmmaker Jeo Baby, known for socially resonant films like The Great Indian Kitchen and Kaathal – The Core, did not hold back in a recent interview with Hindustan Times. He questioned the integrity and value of the awards in today's climate.
'For the past 10 years or so, we've seen a pattern. Movies that seem to align with the agenda of ruling parties are winning awards at the national level. These awards seem to have no significance now, as they are encouraging plots and scripts that only the people in power believe in," Jeo said.
'Why have these awards when the movies cannot be treated on merit? What's the value of these awards?" he added.
When asked whether he felt let down that Kaathal – The Core, which sensitively explored a homosexual relationship, was overlooked, Jeo clarified that it wasn't about personal disappointment, 'Personally, I've no such disappointment. But the awards given to The Kerala Story, a movie that misrepresented facts, is hugely disappointing. Not only was the movie full of lies, it was also shoddily made. The script, direction and acting were below par. Such misrepresentation of facts is quite scary."
He also lamented the overall decline in the standards of national recognition, 'Previously, movies that won national awards were held in high esteem—even internationally. But the standards seem to have fallen. Awards to undeserving movies are an embarrassment. Our image internationally will be dented if this continues. It's not fair to the domestic viewers either."
Jeo concluded by revealing that filmmakers often participate in the process not for recognition of their storytelling, but to ensure their technical crew has a shot at national honors,'Sometimes we send our entries only because we feel the technical crew should not miss out on winning a possible award."
First Published:
August 07, 2025, 16:10 IST
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