The Curated Corner

The National Awards are meant to celebrate the best of Indian cinema — the craft, the courage, the stories that stick. But this year? It felt more like a highlight reel of political appeasement and PR deals. Honestly, you couldn’t make this up if you tried.

I wasn’t even planning to post about this award fiasco. I really wasn’t. But then came the relentless, over-the-top hype for Aadujeevitham — and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Sometimes silence feels like complicity, and this year’s winners? Deserved a loud, unfiltered reaction.

🎥 The Kerala Story: Now with Best Director?! Seriously?

What. The. Hell. 🤣

This was one of the most tone-deaf portrayals of a Malayali girl I’ve seen in a long time. The acting was flat, the accent was laughable, and the entire representation of Kerala was borderline caricature. That painfully fake “South Indian” accent — Bollywood still doesn’t get it. And yet this is what wins Best Director?

For a subject that deserved nuance, depth, and cultural authenticity, we got cringe. This was a missed opportunity on every level. They could’ve easily cast a true Malayali actress who actually understands the lived experience — or at the very least, worked with a diction coach. Instead, they delivered a performance that felt more like an SNL spoof than a serious film.

Awarding it for direction just rubs salt into the wound. If this was “vision,” I’d rather be blind.

🏆 The Supporting Actor Drama: Sour Grapes Are Not Awards

The ongoing outrage about the Supporting Actor category is baffling. This category exists to honour talent beyond the lead. Some of the most iconic performances in Indian cinema have come from supporting roles — the friend, the sibling, the mother, the antagonist.

Veteran actors complaining about the existence of the category entirely? That’s not wisdom. That’s ego talking. And it sounds awfully like sour grapes when the spotlight doesn’t shine on you.

👑 SRK and the Jawan Award: Better Late Than Never?

Yes, I love Shah Rukh Khan. And no, Jawan was not a performance that deserved the National Award. But here’s the thing — he should’ve received it for Swades years ago. Or even Chak De India. The man carried an entire generation of Indian cinema on his shoulders. So maybe, just maybe, the jury was making up for lost time.

Still, if this is a lifetime achievement disguised as a performance award, let’s just be honest about it.

🐫 Aadujeevitham: All PR, No Punch

Aadujeevitham got hyped to the moon and back — long shoot schedules, desert survival stories, drastic weight loss, emotional drama. But the final product? Meh. There wasn’t a single person I know who came out of the theatre raving about it. Just because something is physically difficult to shoot doesn’t make it emotionally powerful.

And Prithviraj? He’s talented, yes. But when you try to peddle your personal politics and then expect universal applause, that’s not courage — that’s arrogance. He got completely snubbed this award season, and frankly, I’m okay with that.

😂 Bhagavanth Kesari: Who Were You Trying to Please?

And to add to the absurdity — Bhagvanth Kesari wins an award. For what, exactly? Unintentional comedy? If the jury really wanted to confuse us, congratulations. Mission accomplished. At this point, I’m bracing myself for Housefull 5 to win for “Best Representation of Modern Indian Masculinity” next year. 😂

📝 Final Thoughts

This year’s National Awards didn’t feel like a celebration of Indian cinema. They felt like a boardroom deal — where awards were handed out like party favours. But here’s the thing: audiences today aren’t blind. We know when we’re being manipulated. We can smell the politics behind the packaging.

You can try to dress it up as merit, but mediocrity in a tuxedo is still mediocrity.

Let’s hope next year brings back integrity.

And please — for the love of authenticity — hire a diction coach.