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The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen slams award for ‘plagiarised’ film Laapataa Ladies: ‘Tamasha in name of cinema’

Sudipto Sen said that Filmfare has chosen not to award the best works of 2024, and declared that it has zero contribution towards cinema.

Updated on: Oct 14, 2025, 14:02:16 IST
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The Filmfare Awards were held last weekend in Ahmedabad, awarding the best Hindi films of 2024. Laapataa Ladies won the Best Film award (along with 12 other trophies). Abhishek Bachchan and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor in Leading Role Male trophy, and Alia Bhatt took home Best Actress. The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen has now slammed the awards, saying that they are ‘tamasha’ in the name of cinema.

The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen has slammed Filmfare Awards.
The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen has slammed Filmfare Awards.

What Sudipto Sen said

Taking to his Instagram account, Sudipto shared a note on Filmfare Awards, which read, “This year Filmfare truly is an expose of Indian ‘nouvelle vague’… A blatantly plagiarised film… a film which is a tutorial of brutality and a film which did not survive the box office for more than 72 hours took away most of the crowns. As expected the best work of 2024 remain elusive. Realised, why Filmfare was so vocal against The Kerala Story receiving National Awards. I am happy that this ‘wood’ community does not recognise, invite or choose us.”

He added, “We are spared from faking smiles, faking comradier, and most importantly, not indulging in any sycophancy. In the end- I am happy that we are saved from hobnobbing with this tamasha in the name of cinema in Mumbai and clicking selfies in Cannes. Atleast we are saved from these ugly hypocrisies and fake tapestry in the name of cinema.”

In the caption, Sudipto wrote: "I never expect anything great from any Indian cinema establishment, particularly when it is media or cinema journalism. Mostly enamored by the glamor and rich-world of the stars, exactly the way people from villages and small cities gather in front of Mr. Bachchan or SRK' house.

They actually have ZERO contribution towards cinema, cinema art, the way world media does for world cinemas."

Although Sudipto did not name the films, the film which he is referring to as ‘blatantly plagiarised’ is Laapataa Ladies, the one with ‘tutorial of brutality’ is Kill, and the one which ‘did not survive the box office for more than 72 hours’ is I Want To Talk.

Last month, Sudipto was awarded the National Award for Best Director for The Kerala Story, and the film also won the award for Best Cinematography. The Kerala Story tells the story of a group of women from Kerala who were forced to convert to Islam and join ISIS.

  • Santanu Das
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Santanu Das

    Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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