The winners of the 70th National Film Awards were announced on Friday, August 16. Among the many recognised films, Malayalam movies Aattam and Saudi Vellakka were also awarded in certain categories. However, fans of Malayalam superstar Mammootty were left disappointed as the veteran actor did not receive any awards for his roles in the 2022 films Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam and Rorschach. Following the announcement, many of Mammootty's fans took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, claiming that the actor was overlooked due to the BJP-led NDA government. In response to the growing controversy, director M B Padmakumar, who was part of the South jury for the awards, has addressed the situation.
Speaking to Manorama Online, M B Padmakumar said, "'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam', one of Mammootty's finest films released in 2022, was expected to be a strong contender for the National Awards. However, the truth is that not a single film starring Mammootty was submitted for consideration this year.” The filmmaker revealed that no Mammootty movies were presented before the jury. “People are quick to blame the government, but the fact is that Mammootty's films were simply not submitted. We need to ask who made this decision,” he said.
Commenting on how people should not blame the government, M B Padmakumar said, “I was part of the jury, and I can say with certainty that there was no external influence. If there was any interference, it did not come from the government.”
The jury member also pointed out that the non-submission of Mammootty's films was a loss for Malayalam cinema. He shared, “It's painful to see people using this situation to create a negative narrative. The failure to submit such a remarkable film for consideration is a significant mistake. This was not just a loss for Mammootty, but for Malayalam cinema as well.”
The jury of the 70th National Film Awards featured several prominent figures — director Rahul Rawail chaired the Feature Film Jury, director-producer Nila Madhab Panda led the Non-Feature Film Jury, and Senior journalist and film historian Gangadhar Mudalair was the Chairperson for Best Writing on Cinema.