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Time of India
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why 'Aadujeevitham' was snubbed at National Awards: Missed eligibility window but was considered; Jury chair found Prithviraj's performance ‘Inauthentic'
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) The 71st National Film Awards have stirred significant backlash, especially after 'The Kerala Story' won Best Direction and Best Cinematography. While many applauded its focus on a 'major social issue,' jury member and filmmaker Pradeep Nair openly objected to its selection in a conversation with On Manorama. 'As a Malayali, I strongly opposed the film. It misrepresents Kerala and leans towards propaganda,' he said. Pradeep Nair remained the lone dissenting voice as others defended the film's thematic relevance, choosing to overlook its controversial reception. Jury dismisses 'The Goat Life'; Ashutosh Gowariker criticised its execution Much to the dismay of fans and critics alike, Prithviraj Sukumaran 's 'The Goat Life' (Aadujeevitham) was completely overlooked. Jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker, who had previously watched the film at a festival, reportedly felt the film fell short in several aspects. He believed the adaptation lacked natural flow and the performances, especially Prithviraj's, did not feel genuine. 'Aadujeevitham - The Goat Life': Cyber cell investigates online leak of Prithviraj Sukumaran's movie; police quizzes one Jury member Pradeep Nair confirmed these concerns. He also noted that the film's execution did not meet the panel's expectations. These criticisms, along with technical issues such as missing subtitles in the submission print, resulted in the National Award snub. Missed certification deadline but was still evaluated; 'Ullozhukku' outshines competition Although 'The Goat Life' received its CBFC certification only in February 2024 and released theatrically in March, technically making it ineligible for the 2023 awards cycle, it was still considered due to its festival screenings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pierce Brosnan's Wife Lost 120 Pounds - This Is Her Now Undo Meanwhile, 'Aadujeevitham' had received a solid 4 star rating from ETimes and an excerpt from our review read, "What to say about Prithviraj, except that he lives the character and is superb as Najeeb, who is completely lost and at wit's end in this unfamiliar region. Quite apart from the stunning body transformation, he brings the right mix of innocence and vulnerability to the role. The cinematography by Sunil KS and KU Mohanan give the film the feel of a masterpiece. The desert is stark under their gaze and adds to the emotions of the storytelling. AR Rahman's soulful music is already a hit on social media." However, the jury ultimately decided against it. Instead, 'Ullozhukku' was unanimously praised and won Best Malayalam Film. The film's writing, direction, and technical brilliance were cited as standout elements. Parvathy Thiruvothu's performance and Shehnad Jalal's cinematographer also drew attention but narrowly missed wins.
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
National Awards jury member Pradeep Nair says he objected to 'propaganda' film The Kerala Story, was dismissed by others
The Kerala Story may have walked away with two major honours at the 71st National Film Awards, Best Director for Sudipto Sen and Best Cinematography for Prasantanu Mohapatra, but not everyone on the jury was in agreement. In an interview with Manorama, Jury member and filmmaker Pradeep Nair has now revealed that he strongly opposed the film's selection, calling it 'propaganda' that defames the state of Kerala. However, his objections that were ultimately overruled by the rest of the panel. National Film Awards jury member reveals he raised an objection to The Kerala Story. Pradeep Nair on raising objections against The Kerala Story Pradeep, who was part of the 11-member jury for the Feature Film category, disclosed that The Kerala Story was selected by a majority vote, despite his strong opposition. 'As a Malayali on the panel, I raised serious objections. I questioned how a film that defames a state like Kerala and serves as propaganda could be considered for a national honour,' he said. He added that his objections were dismissed by the other jury members, 'I even conveyed my concerns directly to the jury chairperson. However, I was the only one who labelled it as propaganda. Others argued that, even if it was controversial, it addressed a relevant social issue.' Christo Tomy's Ullozhukku was also in contention for Best Direction but was passed over in favour of The Kerala Story. Pradeep revealed that some jury members dismissed Ullozhukku as 'just a family drama' compared to what they saw as the 'social urgency' of The Kerala Story. Ullozhukku went on to win Best Malayalam Film and Best Supporting Actress for Urvashi. About The Kerala Story The Kerala Story became a lightning rod for controversy upon its release. Directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah, the film follows a group of women from Kerala who are coerced into converting to Islam and joining the Islamic State. The makers claimed the film was inspired by real-life incidents and alleged that 32,000 women from Kerala had been radicalised and recruited by ISIS. However, the Kerala government stated that the claims were unfounded and accused the film of spreading misinformation. The film faced calls for a ban in states like West Bengal, while other states, such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, made it tax-free. Despite widespread criticism and backlash, the film, featuring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani, went on to earn ₹302 crore worldwide and become a box office success.
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Goat Life 'lacked naturality', performances weren't 'authentic': National Awards jury on Prithviraj film's snub
No National Awards for The Goat Life However, many on social media have wondered why Prithviraj Sukumaran and his film Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life failed to garner a single award. Now, National Awards jury member Pradeep Nair has revealed in an interview with Onmanorama that the Blessy directorial was indeed in contention for the awards but missed out during the final discussions. During the interaction, Pradeep Nair said that the decision came down to Jury Chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker's opinions on the film. He said, 'Jury Chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker had seen the movie at a previous film festival in Goa and had serious concerns about the film's adaptation and execution. Gowariker and others also felt the adaptation lacked naturality and the performances didn't feel authentic.' K R Gokul was in contention to win? Pradeep also said that the film was in contention in categories of Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics (for Rafeeq Ahammed's Periyone Rahmane), but did not proceed further because there was no proper English translation of the lyrics, which were submitted by the producers. Rohit won the award for Best Playback singer (male) for Premisthunna in Baby, while Kasarla Shyam's work in Ooru Palleturu for the film Balagam won the award for Best Lyrics. Meanwhile, Pradeep also added, 'K R Gokul's character was widely appreciated by the jury for its freshness and impact. Still, he was not awarded as categories also considered the overall quality of the film.' KR Gokul played the role of Hakim in the film. About The Goat Life Directed by Blessy, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life is a biographical survival drama based on the life of Najeeb, a Malayali immigrant labourer in Saudi Arabia. It received critical acclaim and went on to do well at the box office after its release in 2024. The film earned ₹158 crore, becoming one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Indian Express
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Prithviraj snubbed at National Awards: Jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker felt performance was ‘inauthentic'
The 71st National Film Awards were announced on Friday evening, sparking a firestorm of debate online, especially over the selection of winners in certain categories. At the heart of the controversy is The Kerala Story, which took home honours for Best Direction and Best Cinematography. The film's polarising nature has divided opinion, with many questioning its suitability for national recognition. Pradeep Nair, a jury member and filmmaker on the 11-member central panel for feature films, explained the rationale behind the decision during a conversation with Onmanorama. According to him, The Kerala Story was chosen for its 'relevance' in addressing what the jury saw as a 'major social issue in India.' Despite this, Nair himself was a vocal critic of the film's inclusion. 'As a Malayali on the panel, I raised serious objections. I questioned how a film that defames a state like Kerala and serves as propaganda could be considered for a national honour. I even conveyed my concerns directly to the jury chairperson,' he said. He noted, however, that his dissenting voice was isolated: 'I was the only one who labelled it as propaganda. Others argued that even if it was controversial, it tackled a relevant social issue.' Also Read | 71st National Film Awards: Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji receive their first ever National Award after over 3 decades in the industry Meanwhile, another notable contender, Blessy's Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, was submitted for multiple awards but failed to secure any wins. Its absence from the winner's list has left a bitter taste among fans and cinephiles alike. When asked about this, Nair revealed that Jury Chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker wasn't entirely convinced. 'He had seen the movie at a previous film festival in Goa and had serious concerns about the film's adaptation and execution. Gowariker and others also felt the adaptation lacked naturality and the performances didn't feel authentic.' The film was also nominated for Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics (for Rafeeq Ahammed's 'Periyone Rahmane'), but lost out partly because the producers did not submit a proper English translation of the lyrics. Among standout performances, KR Gokul's character received praise for its freshness and impact. Yet, despite appreciation from the jury, the award eluded him as the overall quality of the films was also a significant factor in final decisions. In contrast, Ullozhukku was lauded for its consistent excellence across all departments, which earned it the Best Malayalam Film award. Nair commented, 'Every element of it, from writing to direction and technical execution, was appreciated, which is why it won Best Malayalam Film.' The film was also considered for Best Debut Director, Best Actress (Parvathy Thiruvothu), and its cinematography by Shehnad Jalal was in contention but ultimately lost out to The Kerala Story in the latter category.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Private Cloud: The Strategic Engine Behind NSE DC's Tech Evolution
In this session, Pradeep Nair , VP India, Broadcom Software, Broadcom and Sampath Manickam, CTO, National Stock Exchange spoke about how private cloud is the the strategic engine behind NSE DC's tech evolution This talk was a part of ETCIO Annual Conclave 2025, Goa, May 29-June 1 Advertisement
