“Aadujeevitham” reigns supreme, sweeps Kerala Film Awards bagging nine awards
“Kaathal, The Core” takes top honours
Thiruvananthapuram: Director Blessy's "Aadujeevitham" received top honours at the Kerala State Film Awards 2023, securing nine awards across various categories.
Blessy was awarded Best Director, while Prithviraj Sukumaran received the Best Actor award.
The film is an adaptation of the 2008 best-selling Malayalam novel "Aadujeevitham" by Benyamin. The novel is based on the real-life story of Najeeb, a Malayali immigrant laborer who is forced into slavery on secluded farms in the deserts of Saudi Arabia.
Prithviraj underwent a gruelling body transformation to fit into the character of Najeeb in the film. The jury lauded the actor for his hard work in portraying the helplessness of a man trapped in extreme circumstances. .
The award for Best Cinematographer was presented to Sunil K S for 'Aadujeevitham', who beautifully captured the film's various emotions. Blessy received the award for Best Screenplay (Adaptation). Oscar winner Resul Pookkutty and Sarath Mohan jointly won the Best Sound Mixing award, while Renjith Ambadi took home the Best Makeup Artist award for the movie.
Special Jury Mention was awarded to K.R. Gokul for his role in Aadujeevitham. The jury praised the portrayal by the actor, which depicted the desperation of a person stranded in the desert and struggling to survive.
The Best Film award was presented to "Kaathal (The Core)," directed by Jeo Baby.
Additionally, "Kaathal" garnered the Best Writer award for Adarsh Sumukaran and a Special Mention for Sudhi Kozhikode.
The second-best film award was given to "Iratta," directed by Rohit M. G. Krishnan.
The award winners list includes;
Best Film - 'Kaathal' (The Core), Best Actress - Urvashi ('Ullozhukku'), Beena R. Chandran ('Thadavu'), Best Actor - Prithviraj Sukumaran ('Aadujeevitham'), Best Director - Blessy ('Aadujeevitham'), Second Best Film - 'Irratta' by Rohit M.G. Krishnan, Best Playback Singer (Male) - Vidhyadharan Master, Best Music Director - Justin Varghese ('Chaaver').