Mammootty’s Peranbu snub at Tamil Nadu State Film Awards sparks criticism

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to exclude Mammootty from the list of Best Actors at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for the years 2018 to 2022 has triggered criticism and debate on social media.

Much of the discussion has centred on Mammootty’s widely acclaimed performance in the 2018 Tamil film Peranbu, in which he portrayed the father of an adolescent girl living with cerebral palsy. Film lovers and critics have questioned how the actor’s performance failed to find a place among the award winners.

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Peranbu had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, followed by its Indian premiere at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The film received widespread critical acclaim and strong audience appreciation for its storytelling and performances.

The absence of any award for Peranbu, including in major categories such as Best Actor or Best Film, has disappointed cinema enthusiasts, many of whom argue that the film deserved recognition at multiple levels.

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A significant portion of the praise for Mammootty’s performance has come from Tamil audiences themselves, adding weight to the criticism over the omission.

The Tamil Nadu government announced the long-pending State Film Awards for the years 2018-2022 on Thursday. Interestingly, of the seven actresses selected for awards during this period, five are from Malayalam cinema, and three more Malayalam artistes also received honours in other categories.