Kerala Film Awards 2025: Child star Devanandha slams Prakash Raj for ignoring young talent

The Kerala State Film Awards 2025, announced recently, have stirred an unexpected controversy. The jury, led by veteran actor Prakash Raj, opted not to present awards for Best Children’s Film and Best Child Artist, citing a lack of quality submissions. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from one of the state’s most popular child artistes, Devanandha Jibin, known for Malikappuram and Gu.

Taking to Instagram, Devanandha, whose account is managed by her parents, wrote, “You can close your eyes to kids, but don’t say it’s all dark here.” She argued that children are an essential part of society and accused the jury of ignoring the emerging generation. Highlighting films like Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, Gu, Phoenix, and Ajayante Randam Moshanam (ARM), she added, “It’s not by denying awards to two children that one should try to say more children’s films should be made… Rights should also be protected alongside reforms.”

Filmmaker Vinesh Viswanath (Sthanarthi Sreekuttan) and actor Anand Manmadhan also voiced frustration. Vinesh questioned why films not formally censored as children’s films were overlooked, noting, “Works like Manu Uncle (1988) and Kaaka Muttai (2014) won Best Children’s Film despite similar circumstances. Should the jury dismiss Best Actor or Best Actress under the same logic?” Anand added, “And the jury decides there is no worthy child artiste… When I saw the statement that there were no child stars who showed good performances last year, I felt like saying.”

Prakash Raj, explaining the jury’s stance, had stated earlier, “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. Just by casting children, it won’t automatically become children’s cinema. We need to know what children think; they are a vital part of this evolution.”