The Kerala State Film Awards 2025 — officially the 55th Kerala State Film Awards, honouring films certified in 2024 — were announced on 3 November 2025. Chidambaram’s survival thriller Manjummel Boys dominated the night, while Mammootty won Best Actor for his chilling performance in Bramayugam. Debutant Shamla Hamza took Best Actress for Feminichi Fathima, a small independent film that was one of the biggest stories of the evening.
Here is the complete list of major winners, along with what the results mean for Malayalam cinema.
Key Highlights
- Best Film: Manjummel Boys
- Best Actor: Mammootty (Bramayugam)
- Best Actress: Shamla Hamza (Feminichi Fathima)
- Best Director: Chidambaram (Manjummel Boys)
- Jury chair: actor Prakash Raj
Table of Contents
Kerala State Film Awards 2025: Full Winners List
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Film | Chidambaram (director) | Manjummel Boys |
| Second Best Film | Fasil Muhammed (director) | Feminichi Fathima |
| Best Director | Chidambaram | Manjummel Boys |
| Best Actor | Mammootty | Bramayugam |
| Best Actress | Shamla Hamza | Feminichi Fathima |
| Best Character Actor | Soubin Shahir; Sidharth Bharathan | Manjummel Boys; Bramayugam |
| Best Debut Director | Fasil Muhammed | Feminichi Fathima |
| Best Original Screenplay | Chidambaram | Manjummel Boys |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Lajo Jose, Amal Neerad | Bougainvillea |
| Best Cinematography | Shyju Khalid | Manjummel Boys |
| Best Music Director (Songs) | Sushin Shyam | Bougainvillea |
| Best Background Score | Christo Xavier | Bramayugam |
| Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value | Girish A.D. (director) | Premalu |
| Best Children’s Film | No award | |
The jury also gave special mentions to several performers, including Darshana Rajendran and Jyothirmayi. The awards for the year were judged by a jury chaired by Prakash Raj, with a separate panel for writing on cinema.
Mammootty’s Historic Best Actor Win
At 74, Mammootty added another Best Actor trophy to his long list of honours, according to reports his seventh in the category at the state awards — a record. His role as Kodumon Potti, the menacing master of a decaying mana in Rahul Sadasivan’s black-and-white folk horror, was praised by critics for its restraint and menace. The performance later also earned him a shared Best Actor award at the 72nd National Film Awards in 2026.
The win confirms Mammootty’s remarkable late-career run of bold choices, from Puzhu and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam to Kaathal – The Core and Bramayugam. Read our Bramayugam review and our guide to Mammootty’s best movies.
Manjummel Boys Sweeps the Top Honours
Manjummel Boys, the first Malayalam film to cross ₹200 crore worldwide, won Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Character Actor (Soubin Shahir) and Best Cinematography (Shyju Khalid). It is rare for a massive commercial hit to also dominate the critics’ categories, and the result was widely celebrated as a sign that quality and popularity can go hand in hand.
For Chidambaram, it was a huge recognition for only his second film after Jan.E.Man. Read our Manjummel Boys review.
The Rise of Feminichi Fathima
The biggest surprise of the night was Feminichi Fathima, a low-budget independent film by debut director Fasil Muhammed. It won Second Best Film, Best Debut Director and Best Actress for newcomer Shamla Hamza, who plays a Muslim homemaker quietly asserting herself within her family and community. The film had earlier impressed audiences at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), and its success later continued at the national level, where it won the National Film Award for Best Malayalam Feature Film.
Other Notable Winners
- Bougainvillea, Amal Neerad’s psychological thriller, won for adapted screenplay and for Sushin Shyam’s songs.
- Bramayugam picked up three major awards: Best Actor, Best Character Actor (Sidharth Bharathan) and Best Background Score (Christo Xavier).
- Premalu won Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value, recognising Girish A.D.’s crowd-pleasing romcom — see our Premalu review.
What the Kerala State Film Awards 2025 Tell Us
The results of the Kerala State Film Awards 2025 reflect an extraordinary year for Malayalam cinema. 2024 produced Manjummel Boys, Bramayugam, Premalu, Aavesham, Aadujeevitham and Kishkindha Kaandam — several of which are now among the highest grossing Malayalam movies. The jury’s choices balanced these big hits with small, socially aware films like Feminichi Fathima, sending a message that the state’s top honours remain open to independent voices.
There was some debate too: as in most years, fans questioned a few omissions, and the decision to give no Best Children’s Film award drew attention to the lack of quality children’s cinema in Malayalam.
How the Kerala State Film Awards Work
The Kerala State Film Awards are organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy on behalf of the state’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Each edition honours Malayalam films censored during the previous calendar year, which is why the Kerala State Film Awards 2025 recognised films from 2024. Producers submit their films, and an independent jury of filmmakers, critics and technicians — usually chaired by a respected figure from outside the state industry — watches every entry before deciding the winners.
The results are traditionally announced by the state’s Minister for Culture at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, with the award ceremony held later. Alongside feature-film categories, there are awards for writing on cinema, such as the best book and best article on film, judged by a separate panel. Winners receive a cash prize, a statuette and a certificate, but for most artists the real value lies in the prestige: a state award is still considered one of the highest honours in Malayalam cinema.
A Quick Look Back: Previous Year’s Big Winners
At the 54th Kerala State Film Awards, announced in 2024, Prithviraj Sukumaran won Best Actor for Aadujeevitham, Blessy won Best Director for the same film, and Kaathal – The Core was named Best Film. Comparing the two years shows how consistently strong the industry has been. Read our Aadujeevitham review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Best Actor at the Kerala State Film Awards 2025?
Mammootty won Best Actor for Bramayugam.
Which film won Best Film at the 55th Kerala State Film Awards?
Manjummel Boys, directed by Chidambaram, won Best Film.
Who won Best Actress at the Kerala State Film Awards 2025?
Shamla Hamza won Best Actress for Feminichi Fathima.
When were the Kerala State Film Awards 2025 announced?
They were announced on 3 November 2025.
Conclusion
The Kerala State Film Awards 2025 celebrated a landmark year, with Manjummel Boys, Mammootty and Feminichi Fathima leading the honours. For the national picture, read our story on the 72nd National Film Awards Malayalam winners, and see the complete list on Wikipedia.
