The 35th P. Padmarajan Awards have been announced, with the film category honouring two of the key creative forces behind Eko. Director Dinjith Ayyathan wins Best Director, while Bahul Ramesh takes Best Screenplay. The awards, presented by the Padmarajan Trust, will be formally conferred in August.
Dinjith Ayyathan receives ₹25,000 along with a plaque and citation. Bahul Ramesh receives ₹15,000 with the same honours. The film jury was chaired by Madhupal, with Vijayakrishnan and Sulochana Rammohan as members.
The literary awards for 2025 were decided by a separate jury chaired by S. Harish, with Rahul Radhakrishnan and Pradeep Panangad as members. Chandramathi’s novel Ozhukathe Oru Puzha wins Best Novel, carrying a prize of ₹20,000. Shanoj R. Chandran wins Best Short Story for Arappathiri, receiving ₹15,000. The Vismayasmaks Youth Literature Award — given to the most significant debut work by a new writer — goes to Mithun Krishna for the novel Aparasamudra.
Why the Padmarajan Award Carries Weight
Named after P. Padmarajan, one of Malayalam cinema and literature’s most revered figures, the award has been running for 35 years and remains one of the more respected recognitions in the Malayalam creative ecosystem — precisely because it covers both cinema and literature under the same banner, reflecting Padmarajan’s own dual identity as a novelist and filmmaker.
For Dinjith Ayyathan, the recognition arrives at a point in his career where Eko has already established him as a filmmaker worth watching closely in Malayalam cinema. For Bahul Ramesh, the screenplay award adds formal recognition to what has been a quietly accumulating body of work.
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