The 70th National Film Awards were declared today (August 16). As expected, several artistes from different film industries won the honours they truly deserved. Unfortunately, many Malayalis have expressed their disappointment that Mammootty did not receive an award for his roles in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam and Rorschach, despite winning accolades for other films like Aattam and Saudi Vellakka. In the meantime, South Zone jury member and filmmaker MB Padmakumar has made some disclosures about this on social media.

MB Padmakumar’s post on National Film Awards 2024

In a statement released today, the actor and director addressed several allegations regarding Mammootty not being able to win the Best Actor award. "Even though films like Aattam got the recognition they deserved, Mammootty's lack of an award is disheartening. However, a lot of people are unaware that none of his films were submitted to the jury board for consideration," he stated.

Padmakumar stated that spreading false allegations or starting discussions on fake news on social media is not a smart idea. He continued by stating that it is absurd to hold the central government responsible as Mammootty's films were not even forwarded to the board for nomination. The director also made a point of saying that the government had not influenced the choice of winners. He said that the Malayalam industry lost a chance to honour the megastar of the industry, even though he is unsure of who is to blame for the actor's Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam or Rorschach not being sent in for any category.

Debates over Rishab Shetty or Mammootty winning the award

Netizens were unable to agree on whether Mammootty or Rishab Shetty, who was supposedly competing for the Best Actor in a Leading Role award, deserved more praise. The majority had commented that Mammootty should win Best Actor based on the roles and scripts he has been choosing lately. Rishab won the award for his film, Kantara, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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