Kerala State Film Awards 2023: Mammootty And Kunchacko Boban's Movies Go Head-to-Head In The Final Round?

Kerala State Film Awards 2023: As the State Film Awards approach, film enthusiasts are eagerly speculating about this year's winners.

While discussions revolve around various categories, the spotlight shines brightest on the Best Actor, Best Film, and Best Director races. In 2022, several actors delivered exceptional performances in remarkable films.

Renowned Bengali filmmaker Gautam Ghosh presides over the jury this year. A total of 154 films, including eight children's films, were considered for the awards. After initial screenings starting on June 19, two preliminary juries selected 42 films for the second round. Recently, Gautam Ghosh's chief jury commenced viewing these films. The main awards will be announced from a selected few among the 42 films in the next stage.

Mammootty emerges as a strong contender in the Best Actor competition this year. In 2022, he portrayed diverse characters in three outstanding films: Kuttan in the psychological drama "Puzhu," Luke Antony in the psychological thriller "Rorschach," and James/Sundaram in Lijo Jose Pellissery's "Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam." Mammootty's experimentation and refined acting skills were evident in each of these roles.

Kunchacko Boban also has a significant presence in the Best Actor race. His noteworthy performances in films like "Nna Thaan Case Kodu," where he showcases a distinct appearance and acting style, the political thriller "Pada," and Mahesh Narayanan's "Ariyippu" have garnered award potential.

Prithviraj Sukumaran may be a contender for Best Actor, thanks to his roles as Adv./DCP Aravind Swaminathan IPS in the legal thriller "Jana Gana Mana" and Abdulla Marakkar in "Theerppu." Indrans could secure the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Kuttichayan in "Udal," while Alencier Lopez's performance as Ittychan in "Appan" might also be recognised.

Movies In The Final Round

"Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam," directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery; "Saudi Vellakka," directed by Tharun Moorthy; "Ariyippu," directed by Mahesh Narayanan; "Ela Veezha Poonchira," directed by Shahi Kabir; and "Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey," directed by Vipin Das, are in the running for the Best Film and Director awards. As is often the case, we cannot rule out the possibility that a film of artistic value outside the mainstream may win the Best Picture Award.

Nemam Pushparaj and KM Madhusudhan lead the sub-committees of the preliminary judging panel and are also members of the final judging panel. The preliminary judging panel includes VJ James and KM Sheeba as writers, Roy P. Thomas as the art director, B. Rakesh as the producer, Sajaz Rahman as the director, and Vinod Sukumaran as the editor and director.

The final judging panel comprises actress Gauthami, cinematographer Hari Nair, sound designer D Yuvraj, and playback singer Jency Gregory. C. Ajoy, the Film Academy Secretary, serves as the Member Secretary in both the Preliminary and Final Judging Committees. Writer and journalist KC Narayanan heads the jury for film-related writing awards, with members including K. Rekha, MA Dileep, and Ajoy.