Jitesh Pillai, journalist and editor of Filmfare magazine, slammed National Award jury members, including chairman Ashutosh Gowarikar, for presenting two awards to the 2023 film, The Kerala Story. Calling it "one of the worst movies ever made", he accused it of selling blatant propaganda, and Pillai received support from actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Dia Mirza, among others.

Jitesh Pillai, journalist and editor of Filmfare magazine, slammed National Award jury members, including chairman Ashutosh Gowarikar, for presenting two awards to the 2023 film, The Kerala Story. Calling it "one of the worst movies ever made", he accused it of selling blatant propaganda, and Pillai received support from actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Dia Mirza, among others.

The Kerala Story won two National Awards this year. Sudipto Sen, who directed the film, won the National Award for Best Director, while Prasanthanu Mohapatra won the National Award for Best Cinematography.

This did not sit well with Pillai, who openly criticised the decision and penned an angry note on social media. "By awarding a dangerously divisive film, Kerala Story for best direction, the National awards jury sends seriously wrong signals. Forget for a moment the vicious propoganda of the film, its insidiously fake narrative, let’s look at it qualitatively. It has to be one of the worst movies ever made - it’s shoddily scripted, very poorly acted, horribly photographed and amateurishly directed (sic)," he wrote.

Pillai went on to say, "Is this the film chairman of the jury, Ashutosh Gowariker with his claims of being an aesthete with a great understanding of cinema of sense and sensibility has awarded for best cinematography? And to add serious insult to injury, it’s been given best direction? I don’t know what the criterion of selection in and what year was considered? But in a year of many cinematic gems like Kathal, Balagam, Chitha, 12th fail, Aatam, All we imagine as light, Viduthalai, and so many many others, you found this arrant piece of filmmaking- Kerala Story for best direction. Slow claps (sic)."

"Lovers of good cinema can hang our heads in shame. This has verily been the worst blow ever and a travesty in judging cinematic excellence. To know how bad it is do watch this abomination on Z5. You’ll get a fair idea. What a con job (sic)," he concluded.

Soon after his post went viral, actresses Sonakshi Sinha and Dia Mirza echoed his sentiments and showed him support by dropping clapping emoticons.