The winners of the 46th Kerala Film Critics Awards have been revealed by the Kerala Film Critics Association. ‘B 32 Muthal 44 Vare,’ directed by Shruthi Sharanyam and backed by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), and ‘Headmaster,’ directed by Rajiv Nath and produced by Sreelal Devaraj and Prema P Thekkekk, won the award for Best Film.
Meanwhile, Mahesh Narayanan was named best director for his work on ‘Ariyippu.’ Kunchacho Boban got the award for best actor for his performances in ‘Nna Than Case Kodu’ and ‘Pakalum Pathiravum,’ while Darshana Rajendran won best actress for her roles in ‘Jaya Jaya Jaya He’ and ‘Purushapretham.’
There were 82 entries for the 2022 awards, and the films were judged by a jury led by Dr. George Onakkoor. The awards were announced by Onakkoor, who is also the president of the Film Critics Association, and general secretary Thekkinkadu Joseph.
Other Film Critics honours include veteran filmmaker K. P. Kumaran, who received the ‘Chalachitra Ratnam’ award for his overall contribution to the field, and actor Kamal Haasan, who celebrated his 50th year in the film industry with the Critics Ruby Jubilee Award.
The Chalachitra Prathibha Award will be given to the following celebrities: actor Vijayaraghavan, actress Shobana, actor, dancer, and sound artist Vineeth, poster designer and scenarist Gayathri Asokan, and senior actor Mohan D. Kurichi.
Other awards
Second-best film: ‘Vettappattikalum Ottakkarum’
Director of the second-best film: Rarish G. Kurup
Best supporting actor: Shared by Thampy Antony (‘Headmaster’) and Alencier (‘Appan’)
Best supporting actress: Shared by Hanna Reji Koshy (‘Kooman’) and Gargi Ananthan (‘Ekan Anekan’)
Best child actors: Master Akash Raj (‘Headmaster’) and Baby Devanandana (‘Malikapuram’)
Best story: M. Mukundan (‘Mahaveeryar’)
Best screenplay: Shihabudeen Poythukadavu and Sunny Joseph (‘Bhoomiyde Oppu’) and Sruthi Saranyam (‘B 32-44’)
Best song-writer: Vinayak Sasikumar (‘Ini Utharam,’ ‘My Name is Azhakan,’ ‘The Teacher’, and ‘Keedom’)
Best music director: Kavalam Sreekumar (‘Headmaster’)
Best BGM: Ronnie Raphael (‘Headmaster’)
Best male singer: K. S. Harishankar (for the song ‘Enthinente nenjinullile’ in the film ‘Anandam Paramanandam’) and S. Ravishankar (‘Mazhayil’ in ‘Maadan’).
Best female singer: Nithya Mammen (‘Aayirathiri’ in ‘Headmaster’)
Best cinematographer: Abraham Joseph (‘Kumari’)
Best visual editor: Sreejith Sarang (‘Jana Gana Mana’)
Best sound recording: Vishnu Govind, Ananthasankar J., and Sreesankar (‘Malayankunju’)
Best art director: Jyothish Shankar (‘Ariyippu’, ‘Malayankunju’)
Best makeup artist: Amal Chandran (‘Kumari’)
Best costume designer: Dhanya Balakrishnan (‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’)
Best popular films: ‘Nna Than Case Kodu’ (director: Ratheesh Balakrishna Pothuval) and ‘Malikapuram’ (director: Vishnu Sasishankar).
Best children’s films: ‘Five Seeds’ (director: Aswin P. S.) and ‘Standard 5-B’ (director: P. M. Vinod Lal)
The best film that promotes national integration: ‘Saudi Vellakka’, directed by Tharun Moorthy.
Best biographical film: ‘Ayisha’ (directed by Ameer Pallikkal).
Best historical film: ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ (director: Vinayan)
Best films on the environment: ‘Vellarikkapattanam’ (director: Maneesh Kurup) and ‘Akkuvinte Padachon’ (director: Murukan Meleri).
Awards for the best debutants
Direction: Anil Dev for ‘Uttavar’ and Indu V. S. for ‘19 1 A.’
Acting: Advocate Shukkoor, P. P. Kunjikrishnan (‘Nna Than Case Kodu’), Ranjith Sajeev (‘Mike’), and Ashikha Asokan (‘Missing Girl’)
Special jury award: Mona Thavil (a foreign actress who enacted the role of Mamma in ‘Ayisha’)
Special jury awards
Direction: Chidambara Palaniyappan (‘Ekan Anekan’), ‘Romancham’ (director: Jithu Madhavan), ‘Thoolika’ (Roy Manappallil), ‘Nipah’ (Benny Asamsa), and ‘In the Rain’ (Aadi Balakrishnan).
Acting: Harishree Asokan (‘Andrew the Man’), M. A. Nishad (‘Bharat Circus’), Lukman Avaran (‘Saudi Vellakka’), Basil Joseph (‘Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey’), Nithya Menen (’19 1 A’), Shine Tom Chacko (‘Thallumala, Kumari, Bharat Circus’), Somu Mathew (‘Nombarakoodu’) and Tony Sijimon (‘Vellarikkapattanam’)
Best film having social relevance: ‘Chathi’ directed by Sarathchandran Wayanad; ‘Kaipola,’ directed by K. G. Shaiju; and ‘Checken’ directed by Shafi Eppikkad.
The best non-Malayalam movie
In 2022, the Film Critics category committee decided to establish a new category for non-Malayalam films that had positive responses in Kerala. ‘Ponniyin Selvan 1’ received the first award in this category.
