Kerala State Film Awards 2025: Jury Prakash Raj’s Remarks on Children’s Films Spark Backlash

A controversy erupted after Kerala State Film Awards 2025 jury member Prakash Raj said no children’s films or performances were worthy of recognition. Actor Devananda hit back, saying the jury ignored young talent and sought equal rights.

Thiruvananthapuram: A controversy has erupted after Prakash Raj, actor and jury of the Kerala State Film Awards 2025, stated that no children's films or child actors were worthy of recognition this year. “We appeal to the film fraternity to truly consider creating cinema for children. Children are an integral part of our society, and it’s important to understand their thoughts and perspectives. Simply casting a few child actors does not make a film a children’s movie. None of the films submitted reflected children’s viewpoints, and even in those where children appeared, their characters didn’t speak or behave like their real age,” he stated. The statement received sharp criticism from several people in the Malayalam film industry.

Devananda, known for her performance in Malikappuram, took to Instagram to strongly criticize the jury's decision. "Turn a blind eye to the children, but don't say that it's all dark here," her post began, accusing the jury of ignoring an entire generation of talented child performers. The young actor pointed to several films featuring notable children's performances, including Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, Gu, Phoenix, and ARM, arguing that these deserved recognition. "If it had been given to two children, it would have become an energy for many children," Devananda stated, emphasizing the motivational impact such awards could have on aspiring young performers.

'Children Should Be Granted Their Rights'

Devananda further stated that changes should not be made by denying children their rights. She urged the media, film workers, and the public to discuss the issue and focus on creating films for children than denying awards. According to the jury report obtained by Asianet News, six films were submitted in the children's category, with only two – School Chale Hum and Iruniram – reaching the final round. The jury assessed that neither film was presented from a child's perspective and that no roles with significant acting potential were created for children. This reasoning led to the decision not to award Best Children's Film or Best Child Artist categories.

Director Vinesh Viswanathan of 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan' expressed disappointment, while actor Anand Manmadhan shared the film's poster that prominently features children with the caption, "And the jury decides there is no worthy child artist." Responding to the controversy, Minister Saji Cherian acknowledged the jury's regret over the situation and announced that the government would intervene to promote quality children's films. He promised that a meeting of cinema-related stakeholders would be convened to address the issue, assuring that children's awards would be included in the next edition of the State Film Awards. It is for the second consecutive year that the jury was unable to find a worthy child artist.