Manjummel Boys, the immensely popular survival drama directed by Chidambaram and based on a real life story, won big at the 55th Kerala State Film Awards 2024, garnering awards nine, including the top honours of Best Film and Best Director, on Monday (November 3, 2025).
The film also swept the awards in the technical categories, including Best Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound Designing and Sound Mixing.
Mammootty won his seventh Best Actor (Male) award, the most for any actor in Malayalam, for his chilling portrayal of Kodumon Potti in Bramayugam, while Shamla Hamza won the Best Actor (Female) for her performance in Feminichi Fathima. Fasil Muhammed won the award for the Best Debutant Director for Feminichi Fathima.
Mammootty in ‘Bramayugam’
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Premalu, a youthful entertainer directed by Girish A.D., won the award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. Payal Kapadia won the special award for women for her fer acclaimed film All We Imagine as Light. The special mentions for acting went to Asif Ali (Kishkindha Kaandam), Tovino Thomas (ARM), Darshana Rajendran (Paradise) and Jyothirmayi (Bougainvillea). Lijomol Jose won the Best Character Actor (Female) for Nadanna Sambhavam while Soubin Shahir (Manjummel Boys) and Siddharth Bharathan (Bramayugam) shared the Best Character Actor (Male).
Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage won the award for the Best Story for Paradise, set amid the political and economic crisis in the island nation in 2022. Sushin Shyam picked up his second State award for Best Music for the songs from Bougainvillea.
Minister for Cultural Affairs announced the awards at Thrissur on Monday. The awards were decided by a jury headed by actor, filmmaker and producer Prakash Raj. Two sub-committees had conducted the initial judging process to shortlist the films for the final judging panel consisting of seven members. A total of 128 films were submitted for the award this year, out of which only 10% had the necessary quality standards, according to Mr.Prakash Raj.
Full list of winners
Best Film – Manjummel Boys (Director – Chidambaram)
Best Actor (Male) – Mammootty (Bramayugam)
Best Actor (Female) – Shamla Hamza (film – Feminichi Fathima)
Best Director – Chidambaram (film – Manjummel Boys)
Second Best Film – Feminichi Fathima (Director – Fasil Muhammed)
Special Jury Mention (Film) – Paradise (Director: Prasanna Vithanage)
Special Jury – actor (female) – Jyothirmayi (Bougainvillea), Darshana Rajendran (Paradise)
Special Jury – actor (male) – Tovino Thomas (ARM), Asif Ali (Kishkindha Kaandam)
Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value – Premalu (Director :Girish A.D.)
Best Character Actor (Male) – Soubin Shahir (Manjummel Boys), Siddharth Bharathan (Bramayugam)
Best Character Actor (Female) – Lijomol Jose (Nadanna Sambhavam)
Best Debut Director – Fasil Muhammed (Feminichi Fathima)
Best Screenplay (Original)- Chidambaram (Manjummel Boys)
Best Screenplay (Adapted)— Lajo Jose, Amal Neerad (Bougainvillea)
Best Editor – Sooraj E.S. (Kishkindha Kaandam)
Best Cinematography – Shyju Khalid (Manjummel Boys)
Special award for women for any category – Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine as Light
Best Story – Prasanna Vithanage (Paradise)
Best Composer – Sushin Shyam (Bougainvillea)
Best Background Music – Christo Xavier (Bramayugam)
Best Playback Singer (Male) – K.S. Harishankar (Kiliye…) (film – ARM))
Best Playback Singer (Female) – Zeba Tommy (Aarorum Keridathoru Chillayil…) (Film – Am Aa)
Best Lyrics – Vedan (Kuthanthram…) from Manjummel Boys
Best Art Direction – Ajayan Chalissery (Manjummel Boys)
Best Sync Sound – Ajayan Adatt (Pani)
Best Sound Mixing – Fazal A.Backer, Shijin Melvin Hutton (Manjummel Boys)
Best Sound Designing – Shijin Melvin Hutton, Abhishek Nair (Manjummel Boys)
Best Dubbing Artiste (Male) – Bhasi Vaikom, Rajesh O.V. (Barroz 3D – animation character Voodoo)
Best Dubbing Artiste (Female) – Sayanora Philip (Barroz 3D)
Best Choreography – Sumesh Sunder, Jishnudas M.V. (Bougainvillea)
Best Makeup – Ronex Xavier (Bougainvillea, Bramayugam)
Best Costume – Sameera Saneesh (Rekhachithram and Bougainvillea)
Best VFX – Jithin Lal, Albert Thomas, Anirudhda Mukherjee (ARM)
Best Processing Lab/Colourist – Srik Varier (Manjummel Boys, Bougainvillea)
Best Book on Cinema – Penpaattu Thaarakal – Malayala Cinemapattukalile Pennaavishkaarangal by C.S. Meenakshi
Best Article on Cinema – ‘Maayunna Nalukettukalum – Malayalam Cinemayum Maarunna Bhaavukathvangalum’ by Valsan Vathussery
Special Jury Award for Article of Cinema – ‘Samayathinte Vistheernam’ by Noufal Mariyam Blathoor
Published – November 03, 2025 04:32 pm IST
