Cash component of awards to be improved: M.A. Baby

Thiruvananthapuram, April 8 (IANS) Kerala Culture Minister M.A. Baby announced Tuesday that the cash component of the State Film Awards would be "appropriately increased" and the term "second best actor" replaced with "best supporting actor" from next year.

He made the remarks after announcing Malayalam movie icons Mohanlal and Meera Jasmine as winners of the best actor/actress awards in the annual Kerala State Film Awards for 2007.

Explaining why internationally acclaimed "Naalu Penungal" directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan managed to get only two awards, Baby said that the filmmaker had failed to weave the four stories together.

Gopalakrishnan, presently in Chennai, declined to comment.

Mohanlal, the gentleman of Malayalam films, reacted to his being named the winner, saying, "The entire credit for my award goes to director P.T. Kunjumohamed who gave me a really challenging role. Every award is a huge appreciation for my work. I am indeed very happy".

Jasmine attributed her award to the munificence of producer Williams and director Shyama Prasad.

"Williams and Prasad were really kind to give me the role of the lonely housewife in 'Ore Kadal'. Irrespective of how many awards is won by an actor or actress, every new award is a huge boost," Jasmine said.

Prasad, son of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader O. Rajagopal, said Mammootty should have bagged the best actor award.

"In my opinion Mammootty should have been given the best actor award. But then, the jury have their subtle political constraints," Prasad said.

While Kunjumohamed is a card carrying member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Mammootty heads Kairali TV - a television channel owned by the same party that heads the Left Democratic Front regime in Kerala.

Mammootty's film "Katha Prayambol" was, however, declared as the most popular film.

The jury headed by noted Assamese filmmaker Jahnu Barua looked at 26 films.

The best film award went to "Adhyalangal" and its director M.G. Sasi bagged the best director trophy.

The best male and female singer awards went to the offspring of two hugely popular singers - K.J. Yesudas and Sujatha for the same film.

While Yesudas's son Vijay bagged the best male playback singer award for "Nivedyam", Sujatha's daughter Shwetha was adjudged the best female playback singer for her work in the same film.

"This is a great honour for our family," Yesudas senior said.