It appears that the controversy surrounding the 71st National Film Awards is far from over, as more voices continue to emerge expressing dissatisfaction over the evaluation and adjudication of the jury. Interestingly, even those who were named winners in specific categories have stepped forward condemning certain decisions of the committee. Among the top critics is legendary actor Urvashi, who has been protesting the jury’s decision to relegate performers like herself and Vijayaraghavan to the Supporting Actor category — despite playing the lead roles in the movies they were considered for — and the complete snubbing of Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life.
Coming down heavily on the award committee for totally disregarding director Blessy’s Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer, Urvashi claimed that it was more than apparent that the film was overlooked due to the L2: Empuraan controversy. In conversation with The News Minute, she said, “How could they ignore Aadujeevitham? You have an actor (Prithviraj) who has given time and effort and gone through a physical transformation to showcase the life of Najeeb, and his gut-wrenching suffering. We all know it is because of Empuraan. Awards cannot get political.”
It may be recalled that Prithviraj’s big-budget Mohanlal-starrer Empuraan had courted controversy after right-wing groups expressed protest over the scenes in the movie set against the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. Subsequently, the makers made “voluntary modifications” to the already CBFC-certified film. A sequel to actor Prithviraj’s directorial debut Lucifer (2019), Empuraan serves as the second instalment in a planned trilogy, penned by Murali Gopy.
Urvashi also vehemently criticised the jury for considering lead characters for awards in the supporting roles category. She maintained, “If they select lead characters for the award for supporting roles, then what happens to the actual supporting actors? Where is the motivation for them to try to better their craft? How did they measure acting to decide whether it is a lead role or a supporting role?”
Stating that she had faced a similar misfortune two decades ago, Urvashi revealed that she chose not to react back then over respect for the actor who won the National Film Award for Best Actress at the time. In 2005, Urvashi was awarded the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Achuvinte Amma (2005), although she played one of the two female leads in the movie. Achuvinte Amma marked her comeback after a six-year hiatus. Actor Sarika, who too was making her return to cinema during that time, bagged the Best Actress award then for her performance in Parzania.
Urvashi said, “I did not raise my voice then, because Sarika won Best Actress for Parzania, and I knew she was making a comeback after a personal struggle, and it did not feel right to protest. But this time, I have to speak, not just for myself, but for my younger co-stars. There are so many talented actors in the south who will keep missing out on these recognitions if we don’t raise our voice now. The National Awards must be given purely for talent, nothing else. I don’t crave awards, but when they come, they should leave you feeling good, not like this. The jury should not take the south lightly, and think we will be happy receiving what they give us.”
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The legendary actor further emphasised that she was raising the matter not for herself, but for the many young women who shouldn’t have to face the same fate. “I can speak, because I am not dependent on any political party. I pay my taxes, I have no fear. I am raising this, not for me, but for those who walk behind me. I do not want anyone telling them, ‘Even Urvashi kept quiet when she won, why are you making noise?’” Urvashi stated that she will decide whether or not to accept the award based on the response she receives.
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Although her performance in Ullozhukku had earned Urvashi her sixth Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress, it was in the best supporting actor category that she was considered at the 71st National Film Awards. At the same edition of the Kerala State Film Awards, Aadujeevitham had won nine honours, including Best Director for Blessy and Best Actor for Prithviraj Sukumaran.
