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At 56, Urvashi won Best Supporting Actress at the 71st National Film Awards for Ullozhukku but questioned the jury’s decision, urging transparency as she played a central role.
Urvashi Rautela has slammed the National Award jury.
At 56, veteran actor Urvashi clinched the Best Supporting Actress award at the 71st National Film Awards for her performance as Leelamma in Ullozhukku, directed by Christo Tomy. While the honour adds another feather to her cap, Urvashi has publicly questioned the jury’s decision-making process, specifically why she was recognised as a supporting actor despite playing a central role in the film alongside Parvathy Thiruvothu.
In an interview with Manorama News, Urvashi didn’t shy away from expressing her concerns. “Is there any standard scale for acting? Or is it that after a certain age, this is all you’ll get?” she asked pointedly. She went on to say, “This is not pension money to be silently accepted. How are these decisions made? What criteria is followed?”
The actress recalled a similar experience from 2006 when she won the Best Supporting Actress award for Achuvinte Amma, a film in which she also played the lead role. “There were politics even then,” she said, noting that she has always chosen meaningful roles over lobbying.
Urvashi added that both she and Parvathy had been submitted in the Best Actress category for Ullozhukku, further questioning the jury’s final verdict. “These awards should make the recipient proud instead of being handed over with no explanation,” she said.
The actor has also urged Union Minister Suresh Gopi to look into the selection process and support greater transparency, especially for Malayalam cinema.
Ullozhukku is a 2024 Malayalam drama film written and directed by Christo Tomy. Featuring powerhouse performers Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu in lead roles, the film also includes Arjun Radhakrishnan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Prashanth Murali, and Jaya Kurup in pivotal supporting parts. Recognised for its compelling storytelling, Ullozhukku was officially selected for the International Competition: Fiction category at the 2nd Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Festival, held in 2025.
While Ullozhukku won Best Malayalam Film, 2018 was awarded Best Production Design and Pookkaalam bagged Best Editing at this year’s National Awards. Vijayaraghavan took home Best Supporting Actor. However, notable omissions like Prithviraj Sukumaran’s performance in Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life led to growing discontent. Even Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the jury’s decision to honour The Kerala Story.
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