'Malikappuram' actor Deva Nandha hits out at Prakash Raj over Kerala State Awards; says jury 'Closed its eyes' to a generation

Child actor Deva Nandha, best known for her acclaimed performance in 'Malikappuram', has strongly criticised Kerala State Film Awards jury chairman Prakash Raj for overlooking children’s cinema and young performers in this year’s awards.Taking to Instagram, Deva Nandha expressed disappointment over what she described as the jury’s “blindness” toward the contributions of child artists in 2024.Reacting to Prakash Raj’s statement that the jury wished to encourage more children’s films, Deva Nandha wrote, “You may close your eyes, but don’t say that there’s only darkness here. Children are also part of this society, and by announcing the 2024 Malayalam Cinema Awards, the jury has shut its eyes to an entire generation that is yet to come.”

'It’s not by denying two children an award…'

The young actor noted that several child performers delivered remarkable work in films like 'Sthanaarthi Sreekuttan', 'Gu', 'Phoenix', and 'Ajayante Randam Moshanam', yet none received recognition. “It’s not by denying two children an award that one can claim to encourage more children’s films. If those two children had received recognition, it could have become a source of energy and inspiration for many others,” she wrote.

Deva Nandha further added that she was deeply hurt by the jury’s decision, especially since the chairman himself had spoken about giving more opportunities to children while failing to acknowledge their rights and efforts.Deva Nandha concluded her note urging open dialogue: “All media, filmmakers, and the general public should discuss this. Change shouldn’t come by denying rights; it should come while protecting them.”

Filmmakers voice support for child artists

Deva Nandha’s statement has found support from filmmakers as well. Sthanaarthi Sreekuttan director Vineesh Viswanath and co-writer-actor Anand Manmadhan also criticised the jury’s stance. Anand wrote, “So, the judges decided there wasn’t a single deserving child actor. When I saw the statement saying there were no good performances by child artists last year, I felt compelled to respond.”Director Vineesh Viswanath echoed this sentiment, posting his film’s poster with the message: “In a world where there are supposedly no worthy entries in the ‘Best Child Actor’ category, these children stand tall with their heads held high.”