Deva Nandha’s Response

On her Instagram account, managed by her parents, Deva shared a video clip of Prakash discussing the children’s categories during a press briefing. The clip features moments from her recent film, Gu, directed by Manu Radhakrishnan.

In her post, she stated, “You can close your eyes to kids, but don’t say it’s all dark here. Children are an integral part of this society; their contributions should not be overlooked.” She criticized the jury for bypassing emerging talent and highlighted the accomplishments of child actors in films like Sthanarthi Sreekuttan and Phoenix.

“Denying two child actors awards does not encourage the creation of more children’s films,” she added. “Recognizing young talent inspires others. I am disappointed in the jury chair’s statement about children’s rights, which wasn’t reflected in their decisions.”

Filmmaker Vinesh Viswanath and actor Anand Manmadhan also expressed their concerns over the jury’s choices on social media.

Comments from Prakash Raj

During the awards announcement, Prakash Raj mentioned that although six films were submitted for the Best Children’s Film category, none were deemed suitable. He emphasized that the essence of children’s cinema lies in understanding their perspectives, rather than merely featuring young actors. “Cinema must capture what children think and feel. Understanding them is vital for this evolution,” he said, prompting criticism for his comments online.