Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran filmmaker and Dadasaheb Phalke awardee Adoor Gopalakrishnan on Sunday criticised the recent National Film Awards, alleging that substandard films have been receiving top honours for some time.
"If the quality of the jury is poor, it will select bad films for recognition," Gopalakrishnan told reporters. He added that if the situation persists, it might be better to stop the system of giving National Awards for films altogether.
"For some time now, the worst films of the year have been getting the National Awards. It needs to be investigated how this is happening," he said.
Gopalakrishnan emphasised that the purpose of instituting the National Awards was to recognise and promote quality cinema, but he believes the current trend reflects the opposite.
Alleging that jury incompetence is a key reason for the selection of substandard films, the veteran filmmaker added that a qualified jury would ensure the right films are honoured.
With PTI inputs