Sudipto Sen Slams Filmfare Awards, Calls It a ‘Tamasha’ in the Name of Cinema

Kerala director Sudipto Sen, known for The Kerala Story, has criticized the Filmfare Awards, calling the event a “tamasha” and claiming it has “zero contribution towards cinema.”

The Filmfare Awards for 2024 were held last weekend in Ahmedabad, with Laapataa Ladies winning Best Film along with 12 other trophies. Abhishek Bachchan and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor (Male) award, while Alia Bhatt took home Best Actress.

Taking to Instagram, Sudipto Sen posted a detailed note expressing his disappointment. He wrote:

“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… I am happy that this ‘wood’ community does not recognise, invite or choose us.”

He further added that the awards spared him from “faking smiles, faking camaraderie, and indulging in sycophancy” and that he was relieved to avoid the “ugly hypocrisies and fake tapestry in the name of cinema.”

In the caption, Sudipto elaborated on his broader critique:

“I never expect anything great from any Indian cinema establishment… Mostly enamored by the glamor and rich-world of the stars… They actually have ZERO contribution towards cinema, cinema art, the way world media does for world cinemas.”

Though he did not name the films explicitly, Sen referred to Laapataa Ladies as the “blatantly plagiarised” film, Kill as the one serving as a “tutorial of brutality,” and I Want To Talk as the one that “did not survive the box office for more than 72 hours.”

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