The director of 'The Kerala Story' is disappointed with Ada Sharma not getting the National Film Award, said- if she had got it...:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The National Film Awards 2025 were announced recently. In which The Kerala Story was given two big awards. The film won awards in two categories - Best Director and Best Cinematography. But the film's director Sudipto Sen is still not completely happy. In an interview, he said that the film deserved even more awards.

Won Award for Best Director

Sudipto Sen says about receiving the Best Director award, ‘It was a surprise. I was expecting that my technicians would get the award. If a film is being discussed even after 2 years, then it is certain that it will be technically good. That is why I would have been happy if my DOP, makeup artist and my lead actress Ada Sharma had also received any award. But when this did not happen, I was a little saddened by it.’

Sudipto further said that he is happy with whatever he got through the film. Coming from a simple background and after 20-25 years of struggle, it is a great honour to receive the country's highest award for film direction.

I am an outsider - Sudipto Sen

Sudipto said that he considers this award as an identity. He said, 'I have been living in Mumbai for almost 25 years, but I never felt at home in Bollywood. I do not belong to the kind of cinema that is made in the Mumbai film industry. I am an outsider here. People hardly know me here. That is why my audience is everything for me.

Let us tell you that 'The Kerala Story' is about three girls from Kerala who are lured and radicalized by ISIS. The makers called it a true incident but the film faced a lot of opposition in Kerala and the film was banned there and a legal battle was also fought. After receiving the award, Sudipto says, 'You cannot defame me by calling it a propaganda film. This award itself is the biggest achievement of the film.