Urvashi slams National Award jury for her Best Supporting Actress win; calls out SRK's win

The 71st National Film Awards were announced on Friday, with prominent names from Bollywood, Marathi, and other regional cinema being honoured with prestigious accolades. Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Rani Mukerji (Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway) won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards, respectively, while Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani was named Best Popular Film. The award for Best Cinematography went to the widely panned and controversial film The Kerala Story.

However, Shah Rukh Khan's win for Jawan sparked controversy, with many expressing displeasure and calling his win undeserving. Among the most vocal critics was legendary Tamil and Malayalam actress Urvashi, who raised pointed questions about the selection process that led to Shah Rukh Khan being awarded Best Actor, while veteran actors like Vijayaraghavan were relegated to the Supporting Actor category.

Urvashi slams National Film Awards jury

Urvashi asked why the jury did not split the Best Actress award this year, as it had in the previous two editions. Speaking to Asianet News, she said, "Why do we have awards? On what basis are they given? That needs to be made clear, regardless of the category. If the approach is to give away awards as they see fit and expect us to accept them without question, that needs to change.

She further added, "How did you distinguish between Vijayaraghavan's and Shah Rukh Khan's performances? How did one become a supporting actor and the other Best Actor? On what criteria? We should raise such questions, as we too are tax-paying citizens."

She added, "I was initially approached to play his pair in Pookkaalam, but I declined because the role required a significant physical transformation, which meant spending hours in the makeup chair. I told them,  even if you pay me crores, I wouldn't do it. But he, at his age, endured all of that and performed. That alone deserves at least a Special Mention."

Urvashi's film

Urvashi shares the Best Supporting Actress award with Gujarati actor Janki Bodiwala; however, she expressed dissatisfaction over not being considered in the lead actress category for her role in 'Ullozhukku', where she starred opposite Parvathy Thiruvothu. Her performance had earlier earned her the Kerala State Award for Best Actress.

On being told that the decisions were based on a majority vote, Urvashi said, "What exactly does that mean? What is the basis? If we're told the reasoning, we'll be satisfied. It's not about blaming anyone, but clarity is essential. This is not pension money that we should accept blindly.

She went on to say, "If the reason for the award is that my performance was inferior, then say so. Was Aadujeevitham not a good film? Why wasn't Vijayaraghavan's performance even given a Special Jury Mention?"

Lastly, she also expressed her happiness at winning the award, revealing that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan, and many others reached out to congratulate her.

For the unversed, the 71st National Film Awards saw Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey jointly win Best Actor.