Jury president Saeed Akhtar Mirza said selecting the best actor was “extremely difficult”. He added that Biju Menon’s performance in “Aarkkariyam” was “extremely nuanced”. He further added that Joju George’s character in “Nayattu” was “exuberant” and “vulnerable”.
52nd Kerala State Film Awards: Full List of Winners
It is worth mentioning that Joju George received a special mention from the jury in 2019 at the National Film Awards for his performance in the film ‘Joseph’, and Biju Menon is a two-time winner of the Kerala State Film Award for second best actor.
About 142 films were submitted for the awards this year, in different categories. Both theatrical releases and direct digital releases were considered for the award as a large portion of Malayalam films were released directly to streaming platforms due to the pandemic. And 29 films reached the final stages, which were then analyzed by a panel chaired by Bollywood filmmaker and screenwriter Saeed Akhtar Mirza. And since the members of the jury had to choose from an ocean of films and exceptional performances, the competition was quite difficult this year.
The past two years have been quite productive for Malayalam films, despite the pandemic blues. Films like “#Home” and “Drishyam 2” broke linguistic and geographical boundaries and subsequently impressed moviegoers and critics with their refreshing plot, storytelling and performances.