Director Vidhu Vincent’s ‘Manhole’ has been selected as the best film of 2016 in Kerala State Film Awards. Minister of state for cinema AK Balan announced the award at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.
Vinayakan bagged the best actor award for his realistic performance in the movie Kammatipaadam, while Rajisha Vijayan won the best actress award for her contrasting performance in Anuraga Karikkin Vellam.
A 10-member jury led by Odisha director A.K. Bir sat through 68 feature films, including eight movies for children, before short-listing 10 movies.
Directors Priyanandanan, Sundar Das, Sudevan, script writer P.F. Mathews, actor Shanti Krishna, composer and singer V.T. Murali, sound designer Arun Nambiar, critic Dr Meena T. Pillai and Kerala Chalachitra Academy secretary Mahesh Panju made up the rest of the jury.
Here’s the complete list:
Best actor (male): Vinayakan
Best actor (female): Rajeesha
Best film: Manhole
Best director: Vidhu Vincent
Cinematographer MJ Radhakrishnan (Kaadu pookkum kaalam)
Best music composer- ONV (Kamboji)
Best singer (female)- KS Chithra ( Kanboji)
Best Music director- M Jayachandran (Kamboji)
Best singer (male) – Sooraj (Gappi)
Best actor in supporting role (male)- Manikandan Achari ( Kammattipadam)
Best actor in supporting role (female)- Kanchana VK
Child artist (female) – Abani Anand (Kochouva Paulo Ayyapa Coelho)
Child artist (male)- Chethan (Gappi)
Best debutant director -Shanavas Bavukutty (Kismat)
Script writier- Shyam Pushkaran
Background score- Vishnu Vijayan (Gappi)