MUMBAI: The National film award won by Sivan directed Malayalam children‘s film Kesu has been stayed by the Kerala High Court. A bench of Justice Antony Dominic, through an interim order, stayed the National film award for Kesu but directed that all other awards can be given to the film.

The stay was granted in connection with a petition filed by filmmaker Majid Gulistan whose children‘s film Chithrakuzhal was rejected by the regional jury. 

Said N. Nandakumara Menon, counsel for Gulistan, “The court accepted the argument that Kesu was a remake of an earlier film Pularvattom which won the state award in 2001.

A film which is a remake of an earlier film should not be considered for the national award, the petitioner claimed.

Sivan is the father of film personalities like Santosh, Sangeeth and Sanjeev. Gulistan also pleaded that Sivan‘s film should not get the national award because Sivan‘s son Sanjeev was a member of the regional jury. He alleged his film was intentionally blocked by Sanjeev so that his father‘s film could go to the national jury.