Why two national awards were given to The Kerala Story: Statement of Ashutosh Gowariker, Chairman of the Jury

At the 71st National Film Awards announced on August 1, 2025 - recognising films certified in 2023 - The Kerala Story won both a Best Direction award (Sudipto Sen) and a Best Cinematography award (Prasantanu Mohapatra). Despite the backdrop of a vociferous controversy surrounding its controversial subject matter, the jury commended The Kerala Story for its technical strength and clarity of storytelling.

What were the reasons for the Jury's Choice of The Kerala Story?

When discussing the decision, jury chairman Ashutosh Gowariker shared some inspiring comments. Speaking to NDTV and other journalists, he noted two main strengths:  

• Cinematography: Gowariker praised Mohapatra's work as “stark and realistic” and he mentioned that the cinematography “never distracted” from the narrative and that it remained “strictly within” the film's theme.
  
  

• Direction: On Sudipto Sen's approach to the subject, the jury chairman said:
  
  
  "It's a difficult subject, and for him to have treated it with that kind of clarity, we felt it should be rewarded."
  
  
  

This sort of clarity, restraint, and narrative integrity appears to be a constant that influenced the jury's choices.

A Film Enveloped in Debate

From the date of release in 2023, The Kerala Story was involved in controversy concerning its representation of alleged forced religious conversions, and links to extremist groups. It was banned in states including West Bengal and saw stoppage of screenings in parts of Tamil Nadu, while other states—including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh offered to exempt the film from tax. Critics asserted that the film peddled narratives that were largely polarizing, while the broader public discourse surrounding the film reinvigorated a public conversation surrounding the extent of tolerance for controversies and dilemmas in cinema.

However, as Gowariker emphasized, the jury decided to frame their decision on merit, and the question of the film's socio-political effects were aside.

Artistic Accomplishment Amid Turbulence

What has struck me about this awards season is the distinction that juries have made between the content of the film and the crafted production of the film. The Kerala Story is tied up in contention, but its direction and camerawork were impressive as a craft-based film. It successfully addressed unsettled issues without losing visual clarity and compositional dedication, and, ultimately, that mattered to the juries.

Further Reflections

This speaks to a wider issue: how should we balance freedom of artistic expression and professional social responsibility? The recognition of The Kerala Story is a reminder that films about difficult or polarizing subject matter can and should thankfully not lose focus of what it means to create a movie and the professionalism of crafting it, where a reasonably high level of the finished product reflects the artistic intentions and control of the filmmaker.