CHENNAI: Child actor Ashwanth Ashokkumar has released a video expressing disappointment over not receiving a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, and the clip has since gone viral on social media.

In the video, Ashwanth said he had been hopeful that his name would feature in the recently announced list of State award winners, but was left disheartened when it did not.

“I believed my name would be there in the Tamil Nadu State awards list. But it wasn’t included,” he said. Referring to his performance as Rasukutty in the 2019 film Super Deluxe, he said he was confident that role would earn him a State award, but noted that the film itself did not receive recognition.

He added that he then pinned his hopes on the 2022 film My Dear Bootham, but did not receive an award for that either. Questioning the selection process, he said he was unsure whether the jury watched such films. “Why does an artist act? If there is no recognition, isn’t it all in vain? I don’t understand why such injustice happens,” he said in the video.

Ashwanth was introduced as a child actor in director Lingusamy’s Sandakozhi 2 (2018), starring Vishal. He later gained attention for his performances in films such as Super Deluxe, Airaa, and My Dear Bootham.