Renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has sharply criticized the National Awards, deeming the selection process “deeply flawed” and devoid of artistic integrity. He asserts that recent winners represent the “worst films of the year,” attributing the decline to biased juries. Gopalakrishnan even suggested abolishing the awards if this trend persists, lamenting the promotion of mediocrity over genuine excellence.
Veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has made a strong criticism of the National Awards by calling the current system “deeply flawed” and lacking credibility. According to him, the selection process has “lost its artistic integrity”, and the films chosen at the national level no longer represent excellence.
Adoor says worst films of the year are being selected
As reported by Reporter Live website, Adoor pointed out that in recent years, the films winning the National Award have been “the worst films of that year”, claiming that quality has completely disappeared from the judging standard. He stressed that the problem stems from the composition of the jury. Adoor said that the people chosen are not experts or respected personalities from the field. In his view, the awards are now decided entirely on the personal nature and biases of the jury rather than artistic merit.He made his stance clear, saying, “If this continues, the National Award system itself should be abolished.” The veteran director further expressed disappointment that the industry is not rewarding excellence but instead “promoting mediocrity in the name of recognition.”
Past controversies resurface once again
Adoor’s latest remarks are being widely discussed alongside his history of outspoken statements that have drawn strong reactions. He had earlier invited controversy during the felicitation ceremony for Mohanlal when the actor received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Adoor had commented that when he received the same honour earlier, “no one was there to honour me,” which many interpreted as a pointed dig. Online discussions have reignited the argument that Adoor continues to express resentment toward Mohanlal.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Mammootty team up
On the work front, Adoor Gopalakrishnan is all set for his next directorial venture. The veteran director will be teaming up with Mammootty after a gap of three decades. Their last collaboration was for the iconic film ‘Vidheyan’ in the year 1994.
