Urvashi questions National Awards Jury over ‘lead role’ being considered as ‘supporting’: “I need an answer”
Veteran actress Urvashi has raised pointed questions over the jury’s decisions at the recently announced National Film Awards, questioning the categorisation of performances into lead and supporting roles. In an interview with India Today, the South star clarified that she was not politicising the issue but wanted clarity for the sake of fairness and future generations of actors.
Urvashi, who was addressed as the ‘Supporting Actress’ in Ullozhukku, despite the significance of her role in it, expressed surprise at how a lead performance could be considered in the supporting category. Citing the example of veteran actor Vijayaraghavan, who won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor for Pookkalam despite playing the film’s lead, she questioned why such a precedent was being set.
“Looking at the way awards have been presented all these years, the Best Actor and Actress awards are given to those who play lead roles. Those in supporting roles get the supporting awards. This is the first time a lead character in a film has been given a supporting character award,” she said. “My point is, what if I do a good supporting role in another film and it wins the award — how are they going to give it to me?”
While stressing that her questions were not aimed at any government, Urvashi called on the jury members representing South Indian cinema to address the matter. “People from the North might not know about everyone from every industry. Did the jury that went from the South speak for South Indian films from Malayalam, Tamil, etc.? I believe that has not happened,” she said.
The actress revealed that younger colleagues like Rima Kallingal had urged her to speak up, warning that if established voices remained silent, the next generation of actors might never get the opportunity to question such decisions. “There is already inequality. If I don’t raise my voice on some issues, there will come a situation where they won’t be able to raise their voice at all,” she noted.
Urvashi clarified that she has never acted with the intention of winning awards but believes there should be a transparent protocol for decision-making. “If I get low marks after writing an exam, I have the right to question it. I am a student of cinema. When my films or others’ are considered, and you find flaws in them, I have the right to ask about the basis for it,” she concluded.
The actress is now awaiting an official explanation from the jury, emphasising that her questions are rooted in fairness and the integrity of the awards process.
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