72nd National Film Awards: Manjummel Boys actor Chandu Salimkumar shares cryptic post after film's snub
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Chandu Salimkumar, Manjummel Boys Photograph: (Instagram)
Malayalam actor Chandu Salimkumar recently criticised the 72nd National Film Awards, which were announced on Sunday. He took to his social media to share that several deserving films had been overlooked.
The 72nd National Film Awards were announced on Sunday, and they have recognised several artists from across Indian cinema. But at the same time, many notable films also missed out on recognition, sparking a conversation on social media. One such project was Manjummel Boys, which was widely praised by the audience.
Reacting to the results, Malayalam actor Chandu Salimkumar shared an indirect yet strong note on social media, suggesting that several deserving films had been overlooked.
Chandu Salimkumar on missing National Award
While he did not mention Manjummel Boys or any other film by name, many believe his post was a response to the survival drama's absence from the winners' list. "Imagine a kid in 2050 studying the history of Indian cinema. They’ll go through the list of National Award winners and watch every film that was celebrated. They won’t know who was in power or what the political climate was. They’ll judge only what they see on screen," he wrote.
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He went on to question, "If they find that many ordinary films were honoured while better films were ignored, they’ll naturally ask why. And if the answer people keep giving is that awards were influenced by proximity to the ruling party rather than talent, then that’s what history will remember. The trophy may last forever, but so will the questions about how it was earned."
Chandu praises Mammootty
Despite his criticism, the actor also acknowledged Malayalam cinema's achievements at this year's National Film Awards. Mammootty secured his fourth National Award, sharing the Best Actor honour with Kartik Aaryan for his performance in Bramayugam. Feminichi Fathima won Best Malayalam Film, Shehnad Jalal received the Best Cinematography award for Bramayugam, while Vaikom Vijayalakshmi was honoured as Best Female Playback Singer for Angu Vaana Konilu from ARM.
About Manjummel Boys
Directed by Chidambaram, Manjummel Boys is said to be inspired by a real-life incident involving a group of friends from Kerala whose trip to Kodaikanal turns into a rescue mission after one of them falls into the Guna Caves.
Released in 2024, the cast also featured Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Deepak Parambol, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr., Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman and Shebin Benson.
