By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Oru Pennum Randu Aanum swept the Kerala State Film Awards announced yesterday.

He bagged the best director, best film and best screenplay award. The film is an adaptation of four short stories by legendary Malayalam writer Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai.

“This recognition is really good and I am happy that this award would bring in the crowd to see the film,” said Gopalakrishnan.

Actor-director Lal (real name Paul Michael), who played the role of a repenting policeman in Madhupal’s directorial venture Thalappavu is the best male actor. Madhupal, also a popular actor, was adjudged the best debutant director for the film that narrates an episode in the failed Maoist movement in Kerala.

Priyanka Nair won the award for the best female star for her role in T V Chandran’s Vilapangalkappuram. The film that revisits the post-riots Gujarat and examines the growth of religious fundamentalism also earned the award for the best storyline for Aryadan Shoukath, who is also the film’s producer.

Chandran’s Bhoomi Malayalam is the second best film while Sathyan Anthikkad’s Innathe Chintavishayam was adjudged the best film that entertains without compromising on quality. The special jury award went to Madhusoodhanan for his debut film Bioscope.

Anoop Menon (Thirakkatha) is the second best male actor and Mamukkoya (Innathe Chinthavishayam) the best comedian.

The awards were announced yesterday by Culture Minister M A Baby in the presence of jury members.

“The decision was unanimous in most of the awards,” Girish Kasaravalli, chairman of the jury and Kannada filmmaker, said. But he feels the quality of Malayalam films has gone down.

“There has been a drop in the quality of the Malayalam films. The situation was not bad earlier,” he said.

There were no awards for children’s films, short fiction, documentary sections as “the entries did not merit an award”.

Other awards are: Child artiste Nivedita Thomas (Veruthe Oru Bharya), cinematographer M J Radhakrishnan (Bioscope), lyricist O N V Kurup (Gulmohar), music director M Jayachandran (Madambi), background score Chandran Veyyattummel (Bioscope), playback singers (male) Sankar Mahadevan (Kalyanakkacheri … in Madambi) and (female) Manjari (Mullulla Murikkinmel ... Vilapangalkappuram).