Key Points

"Winning the National Award is a surreal feeling. When a filmmaker starts his journey and goes through several ups and downs amid the struggles, such an achievement with the country's biggest award feels very special" director Sudipto Sen told ANI.

He acknowledged the contributions of his team and thanked them.

"The journey of making The Kerala Story was a team effort and it is the team's victory. It was not made in Mumbai but we went to small villages and cities in Kerala and collected facts for the story. It is a different kind of feeling," he said.

Sen dedicated the National Award win to the girls of Kerala and added, "I hope my hard work and the team's efforts will spread the message about their sufferings and bring consciousness among people."

The filmmaker further hailed the work by 'The Kerala Story' cinematographer, Prashantanu Mahapatra, who also won a National Award for his work in the film.

"He is among the most sensible cinematographers in the country. I have worked with him in my first film and also my first feature. He has a great cinema, light, and visual sense. He impressively depicted the scenic visuals from Kerala and Ladakh. It was a rarest of the rare camera skill," Sen said.

The filmmaker also opened up on how producer Vipul Shah showed faith in him and was moved to tears after hearing the story. "I was frustrated. Vipul Ji came like an angel and showed trust in me at that time. He was in tears by the realistic story and was ready to make the film. It is a collective effort by me, Vipul Ji, and the team," he shared.

Meanwhile, Vipul Shah said the win felt "gratifying and satisfying."

"The National Award is the country's biggest honour and the competition is very tough. With hundreds of entries, being appreciated on a national level is very gratifying and satisfying," he said.

Starring Adah Sharma in the lead, 'The Kerala Story' was released in May 2023.

- ANI