Jury stunned by Kodumon Potty and Appu Pillai; Mammootty to win Best Actor award, Best Actress award likely to be shared

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the Kerala State Film Awards are set to be announced today, reports suggest that Mammootty is the frontrunner for the Best Actor award. In the final round, Mammootty and Vijayaraghavan were in close competition, but the jury reportedly leaned towards Mammootty for his performance as Kodumon Potty in Bramayugam. Mammootty had led in the initial stages of the evaluation. However, in the later round, Vijayaraghavan's performance as Appu Pillai in Kishkindha Kaandam impressed the jury. His effortless portrayal of a man suffering from memory loss- a deeply complex role- was widely appreciated.

If Mammootty wins the Best Actor award, Vijayaraghavan may receive the Best Supporting Actor or Special Jury Award, sources say. The Best Actress award is likely to be shared by two performers. The final round reportedly featured Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha, who played the lead roles in All We Imagine as Light, the film that gained international recognition at the Cannes Film Festival. Anaswara Rajan (Rekhachithram), Jyothirmayi (Bougainvillea), Fathima Shamla Hamsa (Feminichi Fathima), and Surabhi Lakshmi (ARM) were also among the finalists.

The top contenders for the Best Film and Most Popular Film categories are Manjummel Boys, All We Imagine as Light, Premalu, Feminichi Fathima, Victoria and ARM. Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz is also being considered in the Best Debut Director category. According to reports, seven directors have reached the final round for Best Director. A total of 38 films shortlisted by the preliminary jury are being evaluated by the final jury chaired by actor Prakash Raj.