A significant controversy erupted on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, following the 55th Kerala State Film Award jury’s decision to withhold all awards in the children’s film category. This move has sparked widespread criticism and raised questions about the jury’s selection process, especially concerning potentially deserving films like Vinesh Viswanath’s ‘Sthanarthi Sreekuttan’.
Filmmaker Vinesh Viswanath publicly expressed his disappointment on Facebook, sharing a still from his film and stating, “In a world of no worth entries for best child actor, they stand tall,” implying his child actors deserved recognition.
His film, ‘Sthanarthi Sreekuttan,’ gained particular acclaim for its portrayal of an upper primary school in Thiruvananthapuram, where a teacher innovatively replaces traditional row seating with a semi-circle arrangement. This climactic scene proved so popular that several schools across Kerala adopted the film’s unique classroom setup.
Expressing his deeper concern, Mr. Viswanath stated, “I am saddened not that my film was not selected, but at the fact that the jury decided to not award any film in the category.” He called for transparency, urging the jury to explain the criteria that led to their conclusion that no child actor performances in 2024, including notable ones in films like ‘Kishkindha Kaandam’ and ‘ARM,’ were worthy of recognition.
Adding to the discontent, child actor Devananda took to Facebook, publicly accusing the jury of overlooking the impressive talent among the younger generation of performers.
This marks the second consecutive year that the jury has opted not to honor any children’s films, a stark contrast to the previous year when child actors did receive accolades. The jury, led by the renowned actor-filmmaker Prakash Raj, clarified their stance, stating that out of six submitted children’s films, “none of them were from a child’s viewpoint.”
During the awards announcement press conference in Thrissur on Monday, November 3, 2025, Mr. Prakash Raj urged the film fraternity to prioritize the creation of authentic children’s cinema. He emphasized, “Children are a part of society and we need to know what children think and what they understand. Just casting a few children is not enough to make it a children’s cinema. None of the films submitted talked about children’s perceptions. Even in the other films in which child actors were cast, they were not speaking their age,” highlighting the need for narratives genuinely reflecting a child’s perspective.
Minister Addresses the Outcry
In response to the controversy, Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian acknowledged the jury’s assessment that no submitted children’s film met the award’s quality standards. He assured the public that the government would actively intervene to promote the production of higher-quality children’s films, with a meeting scheduled to engage industry stakeholders on this crucial matter.