49th Kerala Film Critics Awards: Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Anaswara Rajan lead winners' list

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Film Critics Association has unveiled the winners of its 49th annual awards, celebrating the cinematic excellence of 2025. In a prestigious ceremony announced by Jury Chairman Dr. George Onakkoor, the film 'Echo', helmed by Dinjith Ayyathan, was crowned Best Film, while Dominic Arun took home the Best Director honors for his work on 'Loka: Chapter One Chandra.'

The acting categories saw a mix of veteran dominance and young talent. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was named Best Actor for his standout roles in 'Thudarum' and 'Hridayapoorvam.' The Best Actress title was shared between Kalyani Priyadarshan and Anaswara Rajan, recognised for their compelling performances in 'Loka' and 'Rekhachithram' respectively.

The Association also announced several honorary distinctions for lifelong contributions to the industry:

• Legendary singer M.G. Sreekumar will be conferred with the Chalachithraratnam Award.
• Master filmmaker Priyadarshan has been selected for the Critics Ruby Jubilee Award.
• The Chalachithra Prathibha (Excellence) Awards will honor a distinguished group including T.G. Ravi, Indrans, Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, Kalliyoor Shashi, Urmila Unni, and B. Arundhathi.

Technical and musical brilliance were also highlighted across various categories. G.R. Indugopan won Best Story for 'Ponman,' while Rajesh Thillankeri secured Best Screenplay. In the music department, Jakes Bejoy was recognized as the Best Music Director, with Sithara Krishnakumar and Navaneeth Unnikrishnan winning the top playback singing honours. Notably, M.R. Rajakrishnan won the award for Best Sound Mixing for the high-profile sequel 'L2: Empuraan.'

The final selections were made by a specialised jury panel that included Thekkinkad Joseph, Dr. Aravindan Vallachira, Dr. Jose K. Manuel, and A. Chandrasekhar.

Awards

• Best Story: G.R. Indugopan (Ponman)
• Best Screenplay: Rajesh Thillankeri (A Pregnant Widow)
• Best Lyricist: Mahesh Gopal (Mr. and Mrs. Bachelor) and Murali Neelambari (Vadu)
• Best Music Direction: Jakes Bejoy (Narivetta and Loka)
• Best Playback Singer (Male): Navaneeth Unnikrishnan (Vidaparayam from the film Hridayapoorvam)
• Best Playback Singer (Female): Sithara Krishnakumar (Minnalvala) and J.R. Divya Nair (Madhuramayoru Kokila Nadam from the film Nerariyum Nerathu)
• Best Cinematography: Muhammed A. (Thanthappairu)
• Best Editing: Praveen Prabhakar (Kalankaval)
• Best Sound Mixing: M.R. Rajakrishnan (L2: Empuraan)