Director Shoojit Sircar on Shah Rukh Khan, and The Kerala Story National Award win: 'No point debating..'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Director Shoojit Sircar on Shah Rukh Khan, and The Kerala Story National Award win: 'No point debating..'")
In the frame: Director Shoojit Sircar and poster of The Kerala Story Photograph: (X)
On Aug 1, the 71st National Award winners were announced in New Delhi, India. Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey and Rani Mukerji won the best acting honours.
Director Shoojit Sircar is defending National Awards amid backlash. On August 1, the winners of the 71st National Awards were announced, and this time, Bollywood dominated the list. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey won the Best Actor award, while Rani Mukerji took home Best Actress for Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway. Sudipto Sen's controversial film The Kerala Story was also honoured with a National Award.
The announcement has triggered widespread debate, with netizens questioning the jury's choices. Amid the backlash, director Shoojit Sircar has weighed in.
Shoojit Sircar defends the National Award jury
Sircar, who is a jury member for the Best Short Films section at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), defended the National Awards jury.
Shah Rukh Khan, who won his first National Award for Atlee's Jawan, was celebrated by fans, though some expressed disappointment, saying that his other performances were more deserving. Meanwhile, The Kerala Story’s win has also sparked controversy, with netizens saying that the jury has ignored many deserving movies and actors.
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Shah Rukh Khan, who had won his first National Award for Atlee's Jawan. While the actor and his fan welcomed the honour, but some of the fans expressed disappointment over the honour, some saying that his several other performances deserved this. The other debate is on The Kerala Story winning the National Award, despite the movie landing in a huge controversy when it was released.
Sircar, who is a jury member of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Best Short Films section, has talked about the backlash. Speaking to Hindustan Times, "I feel that there is no point debating this from the outside," he says, adding, "You leave it to the jury. We might agree to disagree on many things, but finally, what matters is, who is the jury there. Because that jury is going to be your final word, and you leave it to their sensibility.''
He added,''You can't question what award they have given. I think we would rather question that before they start. Who is the jury? What are their sensibilities?"
Honouring excellence across Indian cinema, the 71st National Film Awards were announced on August 1. The list of winners included Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey, and Rani Mukerji, among others. However, soon after the announcement, it triggered massive backlash, with netizens questioning the jury and how they could overlook other deserving films and performances.
