Actor Chandu Salimkumar has expressed disappointment over the 72nd National Film Awards, saying that such prestigious honours should be remembered for celebrating artistic excellence rather than being surrounded by questions about the selection process.
In a social media post, Chandu said future generations would judge award-winning films purely on their artistic value, without knowing the political environment or those in power at the time. He questioned whether history would look differently at awards if critically acclaimed films were overlooked while less deserving works received recognition.
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Chandu stressed that National Awards should remain above changing governments and represent creativity, talent and merit. He said the honour of a trophy may last forever, but so would questions surrounding how it was awarded if artistic merit was not the deciding factor.
His comments came amid online discussions over this year’s winners, with several film enthusiasts expressing disappointment over the omission of acclaimed Malayalam films such as Manjummel Boys and Kishkindha Kaandam, along with other widely discussed titles including Thangalaan, Meiyazhagan, Maharaja, Vaazhai and Court.
The 72nd National Film Awards, announced on Friday, saw Mammootty win the Best Actor award for Bramayugam, while Feminichi Fathima was named Best Malayalam Film. Chandu’s remarks have since sparked wider conversations about fairness, recognition and the role of artistic merit in national honours.
