Mammootty Confirmed For His Fourth National Awards?
Malayalam legend Mammootty is about to get his record fourth National Awards as the best actor, according to local media. The Turbo actor, who faced close competition from Kantara actor Rishab Shetty has emerged as the choice for the coveted award, with that he is expected to share the record for most national award for best actor with Amitabh Bachchan. The accolade might be returning to the versatile actor after a break of 26 years. Earlier, Mammootty was bestowed the prestigious award in 1989 (for Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Mathilukal and Hariharan’s Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha), 1993 (for TV Chandran’s Ponthan Mada and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Vidheyan) and 1998 (for Jabbar Patel’s Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar). This year, the actor who also has nine state film awards from his home state Kerala and fifteen Filfare South Awards in his kitty, is being considered for Nissam Basheer’s Rorschach and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam.
The 70th National Film Awards will be announced on August 16, at 12 afternoon.
Before this, Mammootty was in conversation in 2010 after the famous snub as he was denied the National Awards for his performance in Shaji N Karun’s Kutty Srank. That year, Amitabh Bachchan was awarded India’s numero uno award for his performance in R Balki-directorial Paa.
Both Rorschach and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam have been in news for the out of the box presentation of two genres of movies that have exceptionally used the acting prowess of the 72-year old actor. Rorschach, psychological horror thriller in which Mammootty’s seeking vengeance with superficial themes, was released in 2022, and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, a fan favourite in both festival circles and commercial release, released in 2023
Mammootty had recently won Filmfare South Awards for best actor for Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam.
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Rishab Shetty, who was a strong contender for Kantara, had found enormous fan following with masterfully blending folklore, action, and drama and captivated audiences nationwide.
The 70th National Film Awards ceremony, organized by the National Film Development Corporation of India, will honour the best films of 2022 in Indian cinema. Originally scheduled for May 2023, the event was postponed to October 2024 due to pandemic-related delays. Winners will be announced in August 2024 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the awards, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The selection process required eligible films to be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022. The awards also recognised critical studies and writings on cinema published during the same period. The ceremony promises to be a significant celebration of Indian cinema’s finest achievements, marking a much-anticipated return after the disruptions caused by the pandemic.
