Trivandrum: After the 66th National Film Awards were announced on Friday, the National Film Awards jury was widely criticised for snubbing veteran Malayalam actor Mammootty. Mammootty was expected to bag the best actor award for his splendid portrayal of Amudhavan in the Tamil film, Peranbu.

Fans and members of the film fraternity seemed equally upset with the snubbing. Social media platforms were filled with discussions on the same.

During criticism, jury head Rahul Rawail took the Facebook to clarify what happened. He clarified that Peranbu was rejected by the regional panel, before it came to the central panel. He said he had to deliver a clarification because of the hatred coming his way, from fans of the actor.

Directed by Ram, Peranbu is a delicately crafted story of a single father’s struggles raising his daughter who suffers from cerebral palsy.

An emotionally intense movie, Mammootty was hailed for his subtle, yet brilliant acting. Director Ram had also received praise for dealing with the plot and the subject of a teenage girl’s puberty and sexuality, with extreme sensitivity. The film won many international awards and was screened at festivals before its theatrical release in India in February.

While movie enthusiasts were upset with Mammoooty not bagging an award, there was also criticism about child artist Sadhana, who played Mammootty’s daughter in the film, not even getting special mention from the jury.