Shoojit Sircar defends National Award jury amid row over The Kerala Story, Shah Rukh: 'Jury should have the final word'

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, a jury member for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, talks about the difficulty of judging art, and the National Award row.

Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar is donning a new hat these days, that of a judge. For the second year in a row, the acclaimed director is on the jury of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), selecting the Best Short Films at the festival. Ahead of the 2025 IFFM, Shoojit speaks to Hindustan Times about the experience and the difficulty of judging art.

Shoojit Sircar is serving as a jury member at the IFFM 2025.

On the difficulty of judging cinema

Shoojit says he does not like judging cinema, but made an exception for the IFFM. "IFFM is very dear to me. The organisers are dear friends and this particular festival is almost like a family affair. This is my fifth or sixth visit there. I normally don't participate in juries and being a judge. But for this, I made an exception," he tells us.

But the filmmaker agrees that judging something as subjective as cinema is 'very difficult'. He explains how he goes about it. "Before we start, we tell everyone that there are certain elements that they should take into consideration. There are technicalities where you can really possibly judge the craft. Then, you should celebrate the film that really makes a difference. And then, the voice and vision of the director are very important. You look at films that bring a lot of social change and have a long-lasting impact. Of course, there are technicalities to look into it, in terms of cinematography, editing, direction, actors, everything."

On the National Award row

Recently, when the National Film Awards were announced, many across the country expressed surprise at Shah Rukh Khan winning Best Actor and The Kerala Story being adjudged the Best Film. Shoojit re-emphasises the subjective nature of art when asked about the row. "I feel that there is no point debating this from the outside," he says, adding, "You leave it to the jury. We might agree to disagree on many things, but finally, what matters is, who is the jury there. Because that jury is going to be your final word, and you leave it to their sensibility. You can't question what award they have given. I think we would rather question that before they start. Who is the jury? What are their sensibilities?"

Taking a leaf out of his own book, the filmmaker concludes with an anecdote: "When Sardar Udham's panorama selection (for the 2021 International Film Festival of India) didn't happen, I was asked the same things. I will say what I said then: 'Whatever the jury has decided, I have to accept it'."

The 2025 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne begins August 14 and continues till August 24.