THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Film Awards are underway and the race for the Best Actor award is heating up between Mammootty and Kunchacko Boban with Prithviraj also making it to the final round. Speculation suggests that either Mammootty or Kunchacko Boban will emerge victorious unless a surprising twist unfolds.

Mammootty's films "Nanpakal Nerath Mayakkam," "Puzhu," and "Rorschach" have made it to the final round, with his performance in "Nanpakal Nerath Mayakkam" garnering praise at international film festivals. Kunchacko Boban, on the other hand, is in the run with his films "Ariyippu," "Nna Than Case Kodu," and "Pada." Prithviraj's remarkable performances in "Theerppu" and "Jana Gana Mana" have also secured his place in the final round of consideration.

A total of 154 films were submitted for the competition, out of which 42 were selected by two preliminary juries. The final jury, chaired by acclaimed Bengali filmmaker Gautam Ghosh, has commenced the evaluation process for the films that made it to the final round. The announcement of the awards is expected to take place on the 18th.

Several notable films are being considered for the State Film Awards, including Lijo Jose Pellissery's "Nanpakal Nerath Mayakkam," Tarun Murthy's "Saudi Vellakka," Mahesh Narayanan's "Ariyippu," Shahi Kabir's "Ela Veezha Poonchira," and Vipin Das's "Jaya Jaya Jaya Jay Hai," among others.

The competition includes both released and unreleased films, as in previous years. The final jury comprises actress Gauthami, cinematographer Hari Nair, sound designer D. Yuvraj, and playback singer Jency Gregory, who will collectively determine the deserving winners across various categories.