Sudeepto Sen on Best Director victory at National Awards: Information of our 10 -year struggle
Sudeepto Sen won the best director for ‘The Kerala Story’ at the 71st National Film Awards. The depiction of the film of ISIS recruitment provoked the debate but gained widespread public support.
In short
- Sudipto Sen received Best Director Award at 71st National Film Awards
- Kerala’s story released in 2023 amid controversy and public support
- The film remained in the top 10 on OTT platforms for 35 weeks
Director Sudipto Sen won the best director for ‘Kerala Story’ at the 71st National Film Awards. The film provoked nationwide debate and talks on its release in 2023. Today, in a special chat with India, Sen called Honor a verification of research, perseverance and years of public support.
“Naturally, I feel great,” Sen said soon after winning the National Award. “But I would have been even happy if the film had also received the Principal Award. Nevertheless, this is a sign of what we determine to communicate.”
Adah Sharma starring, ‘The Keral Story’ was released in 2023 and both were met with both heavy public support and hot controversy. Despite the polarization discourse, the film became a hit at the box office.
Sen recalled how the ‘Kerala Story’ started as a minor project, but was released on a large scale.
He said, “We have already received our award as a blessing of the audience. Even after two years of its release, people are still talking about the film on social media. On OTT platforms, we were in the top 10 for about 35 weeks out of 70. We were in the top 10. Such love and engagement that we saw,” he said.
The film, which focuses on the alleged ISIS recruitment model in India, hit a nerve among the audience despite its minor budget and limited marketing.
He said, “We did not expect it so much. After a decade research and struggle, the award seems like a reward for that visit,” he said.
Asked if the National Award felt like closure after the controversy around the film, Sen accepted the initial backlash, but insisted that once people changed the story after watching the film.
“Yes, there was a controversy in the beginning, but as audience it was felt that the film realized that the film was not about religion – it was a very real and serious issue. The recruitment model of Isis had influenced parts of Europe and America, and we were showing how there were roots in India, especially Kerala,” told.
He said that the ‘story of Kerala’ was often misunderstood due to political sensitivity in the country, especially around the word ‘Muslim’.
“People admitted that it was Islamophobic, but it was not. Once they saw it, they understood that it was about terrorism – not religion. And irony is that the controversy helped us. We did not need to spend on publicity. We found their personal relationship for the film systematically.”
Sen began working on the project in 2012, and his colleague from Kerala, Ambika JK, from 2010. For the director, the award is not just recognition – this is the culmination of hard work of more than a decade.
Asked if he had spoken to someone since the news broke, Sen shared that he had only spoken to actor Adha Sharma who played the lead role.
“She has been our biggest inspiration-on and off-screen,” he said.
As he celebrated with friends and colleagues, Sen was clearly overwhelmed.
“This is a pleasant moment. We are just grateful,” he signed.
The story of Kerala is currently streaming on Zee5.
