After a tight race, it was 22-year-old Nimisha Sajayan who was chosen as the best actress in the Kerala State Film awards, declared on Wednesday.
Manju Warrier and Aishwarya Lekshmi were also contenders for the coveted award. Manju Warrier was considered for Aami, but her performance could not justify the portrayal of poet Kamla Das in the biopic, sources said. Manju's approach to the role was overtly dramatic and this did not sync with the character, thereby ruling her out of contention. Aishwarya Lekshmi managed to impress the jury with her performance in Varathan, but the movie barely managed to enter the final rounds.
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Nimisha was chosen for her two diverse roles in Chola and Oru Kuprasidha Paiyyan. In Chola, her character portrayed a school girl. A realistic performance as an advocate in Oru Kuprasidha Paiyyan meant that the jury's decision could not have gone to the others.
In the category of character actress, Sudani from Nigeria fame Savithiri Sreedharan and Sarasa Balusseri found a place among the contenders. KPAC Leela in Roudram was the other choice. Though the jury favoured Savithiri Sreedharan and Sarasa Balusseri, it decided to give special mention to KPAC Leela.