''Keshu'' is a 2009

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

children's film A children's film, or family film, is a film genre that generally relates to children in the context of home and family. Children's films are made specifically for children and not necessarily for a general audience, while family films are made f ...

directed by

Sivan ''Sivan'' (, from Akkadian ''simānu'', meaning "season; time") is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the religious year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a month of 30 days. ''Sivan'' usually falls in May–June on the Grego ...

. The film won by Best Children's Film award at the

57th National Film Awards The 57th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 2009. Three different committee ...

. It also won the

Kerala State Film Award for Best Children's Film The Kerala State Film Award The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a cinema of kerala, motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs (Kerala), Department of Cultural Affairs ...

of 2009.

Plot

Keshu (Navaneeth Krishnan) is a deaf boy who lost his mother when he was born. He was raised by his maternal uncle (Kaladharan) and wife (Lakshmi Krishnamoorty). Being mischievous, there were many complaints against Keshu by the villagers. His uncle kept punishing him, but to no avail. The only person who Keshu could find solace was his distant relative and the maid of the house, Devu (Amala). Then, Shalini (

Priyanka Nair Priyanka Nair is an Indian actress who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. She made her debut in the Tamil film '' Veyyil'' in 2006. She won the 2008 Kerala State Film Award for best actress for her role in '' Vilapangalkappur ...

), a drawing teacher transferred to that village started living with the family. Keshu did not spare her from his mischief, but she did not complain to anyone, and instead started liking Keshu. He reciprocated the affection shown to him and there was a gradual change in his behaviour. She encouraged him to take up drawing and even convinced his uncle to enroll him in a special school for the deaf and the dumb. Keshu wins an international award for his painting, ''The elephant and the Mahout'', and becomes the darling of the whole village. The end of the happy chapter came as a letter to Shalini informing that her marriage is fixed. Her return was a torment to Keshu, his family as well as Shalini. Keshu remained sad and desperate for her return for days, but eventually realised that she will not come back. He asked his uncle to take him back to his school, and his uncle took him back to his world of colours and drawings.

Accolades

* International Film Festival of India, 2009 Official Selection, Indian Panorama *

National Film Award for Best Children's Film The National Film Award for Best Children's Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Golden Lotus ...

- 2009 *

- 2009 * CMS International Children's Film Festival, India 2010 - Special Mention to the Child Artist

Controversies

It was alleged that Sanjeev Sivan, son of director Sivan, was part of the regional jury of the film award and had allegedly recommended his father's film for the award and hence it was illegal and inappropriate to give the award to 'Keshu'. The Kerala High court stayed the presentation of the National award to the film following the complaint. Filmmaker and jury member Harikumar alleged that it was a remake of his 2001 film ''Pularvettom''.001> The petition was dismissed finally by the Highcourt of Kerala, observing that

Sanjeev Sivan Sanjeev Sivan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in the Malayalam and Hindi film industries. He is best known for directing the 2004 Malayalam film ''Aparichithan'' starring Mammootty. Family Sanjeev Sivan is the youngest so ...

was not part of the regional jury while Keshu was nominated for contesting for the national award.

References

{{National Film Award Best Children's Film 2009 films 2000s Malayalam-language films Indian children's films Films about disability in India Best Children's Film National Film Award winners Films about elephants