Sarada Honored with JC Daniel Award, CM Vijayan Celebrates Malayalam Cinema Milestones

"The 2024 Kerala State Film Awards and the JC Daniel Award, the highest cinematic honour of the Kerala government, are being presented on this platform today. Awards are being conferred on actors and technical artists who have excelled across 35 categories in cinema," said Vijayan.

He added that the awards serve as a historical marker of artistic achievement. "Through the State Film Awards, Kerala continues its mission of recognising, nurturing, and historically marking the artistic excellence and creative growth of Malayalam cinema," the Chief Minister said.

Referring to the approaching centenary of Malayalam cinema, the Chief Minister said the industry is just two years away from completing 100 years. He recalled that the JC Daniel Award is named after JC Daniel, the director of Vigathakumaran, the first Malayalam film released in 1928.

After the award was instituted in 1967, the first recipient was Nargis Dutt. In 1968, Sarada won the award for her performance in Thulabharam, elevating Malayalam cinema to the pinnacle of national recognition. The film was a cinematic adaptation of the renowned KPAC play written by Thoppil Bhasi. Her deeply moving portrayal of Vijayalakshmi, a 23-year-old mother of three trapped in a life of suffering, remains unforgettable.

The Chief Minister further said that even at the height of her popularity, Sarada chose meaningful cinema. He recalled her performance in Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram, which marked the beginning of the Malayalam New Wave.

"Through silence, gaze, and restrained emotion, she immortalised the character of Sita," he said, adding that the role earned her a second National Award.

Five years later, she won her third National Award for Best Actress for the Telugu film Nippulanti Manishi. "No other South Indian actress has achieved this remarkable feat," he said.

- ANI