Veteran filmmaker and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Adoor Gopalakrishnan Sunday criticised the recent National Film Awards, alleging that the selection process has increasingly favoured what he described as substandard films.
Speaking to PTI on Sunday, he said, “If the quality of the jury is poor, it will select bad films for recognition.”
Gopalakrishnan warned that if the pattern continues, the credibility of the awards could collapse entirely. “For some time now, the worst films of the year have been getting the National Awards. It needs to be investigated how this is happening,” he asserted.
He added that the founding purpose of the National Film Awards — recognising and promoting excellence in Indian cinema — was now being undermined. “The objective… was to recognise and promote quality cinema, but now the exact opposite appears to be happening,” he said.
The filmmaker’s remarks come after several senior figures have expressed disappointment over what they see as a dilution of the awards’ integrity. Veteran actor-director Prakash Raj recently described the National Awards as “compromised,” arguing that they did not deserve legendary actor Mammootty.
Earlier this year, the Best Supporting Actress award for veteran performer Urvashi sparked a similar outcry in the Malayalam film industry. The decision triggered debate over alleged miscategorisation of performances, with many — including Urvashi — questioning the criteria applied by the jury.
Criticism has also mounted over controversial winners such as The Kerala Story, which secured major honours for Best Director and Best Cinematography. The film’s subject matter and allegations of propagandist intent drew significant backlash. Kerala CM Pinarai Vijayan had slammed the decision to honour the film.
The students’ association of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) had also issued a statement condemning the decision to crown Sudipto Sen’s The Kerala Story as the Best Film at the 71st National Film Awards.