‘Thalaivaa’ audio release slated for Vijay’s birthday?

Every year, the announcement of the Kerala State Film Awards is accompanied by controversies galore, and this year too, it was no different. This year it just seems to have turned a bit worse, with several prominent film personalities expressing displeasure at the award declarations.

It all started off with veteran actor Thilakan being denied an award, that many felt was rightfully his due. The actor, who had staged a comeback of sorts with the film ‘Indian Rupee’ was apparently not given an award because because he did not essay the role of the chief protagonist in the film. Quite a strange reason indeed for the actor and his spectacular performance in the film to be ignored by the jury.

If Thilakan was not awarded, actor Jagathy Sreekumar who is at Vellore Christian Medical College, recuperating from an accident that he had met with a few months back, was in for a surprise, when the jury decided to make him the Best Comedian of the year for his performance in the film ‘Swapnasanchari’. Director Siby Malayil has been quite verbal in his displeasure at the award, stating that an actor of Jagathy Sreekumar’s caliber should not be relegated to a comedian. There are plenty of others who feel that the award comes as a rude shock.

Salim Kumar even plans to approach the High Court with a petition, stating that his documentary film ‘Pokkaali’ was not even viewed by the jury members! Salim says that he had furnished the Film Academy with the film print of the documentary, when it had insisted that the digital print was insufficient. But the jury never got to see the documentary! Salim has also reportedly taken offence to Blessy being selected as the Best Director, since he feels that the film ‘Pranayam’ was a straight lift off the Australian film ‘Innocence’.