Malikappuram Child Actor Deva Nandha Criticises Prakash Raj For Overlooking Children’s Cinema At Kerala State Awards

Deva Nandha, a child actress, has voiced bold comments against Prakash Raj, the head of the Kerala State Film Awards jury, condemning the lack of awards for young talent. In her opinion, the committee's

'blindness' to the impact of child artists is not just a missed opportunity for appreciation, but a disservice to the industry itself.

Prakash Raj Slammed For Not Awarding Child Actors At Kerala State Awards

On Deva Nandha’s Instagram, which is managed by her parents, she shared a clip of Prakash Raj speaking about the children’s categories at the press conference after the announcement of the state awards. The clip also featured scenes from Manu Radhakrishnan’s 2024 film Gu, which starred her and Saiju Kurup.Slamming Prakash Raj for omitting awards for children, she wrote, “You can close your eyes to kids, but don’t say it’s all dark here. Children are also a part of this society; the jury closed its eyes with the announcement of the 2024 Malayalam Film Awards against the upcoming generation.” She then gave examples of how children have acted in films such as Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, Gu, Phoenix, and ARM in 2024.

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A post shared by Devanandha Jibin (@devanandha.malikappuram)

“It’s not by denying awards to two children that one should try to say more children’s films should be made. If you had given awards to two children, it would have become an inspiration for many others. I express my strong resentment towards the jury chairman, who said children should get more opportunities and that they are also part of society, but overlooked children’s rights. It’s not by denying rights that reforms should be ushered in; rights should also be protected alongside reforms.”

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A post shared by Devanandha Jibin (@devanandha.malikappuram)

Deva Nandha’s statement was supported by filmmakers as well. Sthanaarthi Sreekuttan director Vineesh Viswanath and co-writer-actor Anand Manmadhan also criticised the jury’s verdict. 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 shared a similar 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.

What did Prakash Raj Say About Children's Films At The Kerala State Awards?

Prakash Raj said that while six films were submitted for the Best Children’s Film category, the jury decided that none of them met the criteria. He stated that the same applies to the actors as well. “We did not find a single film or attempt to make a children’s film. Directors and writers should realise that it’s not just the elders and youngsters, but children are part of society,” he said.