Sudipto Sen on receiving his National Award for The Kerala Story: Big box office was first award, this is double whammy

Receiving the National Award for Best Director for The Kerala Story, filmmaker Sudipto Sen shared his thoughts after the ceremony.

Published on: Sep 24, 2025, 03:08:41 IST

By Rishabh Suri

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Sudipto Sen received his National Award for Best Director, for the film The Kerala Story (2023) on Tuesday from the President of India. He describes the moment as “surreal”, “It was quite unexpected, when I learnt of the award the first time. I thought my technicians, particularly actor will get an award. Instead I and my cinematographer got it. I am still overwhelmed. Success is one thing and getting recognition with the country’s highest award is another,” he says.

Also read: 'Watch the film first': The Kerala Story director Sudipto Sen's curt message to Kerala CM over National Award criticism

On receiving it from President Draupadi Murmu, he adds, “In the film industry, the National award is something which we work for years. To receive it from her was a beautiful feeling.”

But for Sudipto, he had received his first big award way back, immediately upon the film’s release- in the form of big box office collections. “When my film did so well at the box office and then OTT, that was a huge award. For a filmmaker, nothing can be bigger than the audiences’ acceptance. That is number one, and I got that award already, I am content. The country recognising your service with a National Award is a double whammy,” he quips.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rishabh Suri
Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More

Home/Htcity/Cinema/Sudipto Sen On Receiving His National Award For The Kerala Story: Big Box Office Was First Award, This Is Double Whammy