Thrissur (Kerala) : Kannur district won the gold cup at the 64th Kerala School Kalolsavam, billed as Asia’s largest school arts festival, which concluded here on Sunday.

Kannur topped the district-level rankings with 1,028 points, followed closely by Thrissur with 1,023 points. Kozhikode finished third with 1,017 points.

Malayalam actor Mohanlal handed over the gold cup to representatives of Kannur district.

In the individual school category, BSS Gurukulam Higher Secondary School, Alathur, in Palakkad district, emerged as the overall champion with 238 points.

SVGVHSS Kidangannur in Pathanamthitta district secured second place with 157 points, while MGMHSS Mananthavady finished third with 136 points.

Addressing the valedictory function, Mohanlal said the State School Arts Festival occupies a unique place in Kerala’s cultural history and has played a major role in nurturing talents who later enriched Malayalam cinema.

He said the festival enjoyed prominence even greater than cinema in the pre-Internet era and served as a vital platform for young talent.

Several actors, singers and artistes who later became prominent in Malayalam cinema had emerged from such school arts festivals, he noted.

“Even in this age of social media, several directors still come here to scout for talent,” Mohanlal said.

He said the festival was not merely a platform to showcase artistic skills but also a lesson in togetherness.

“It boosts the confidence of young talents. It teaches the joy of sharing, and that failure is a stepping stone to success,” he said, adding that participation and competition were more important than results and that the festival offered lessons beyond textbooks.

Thanking the state government for organising the event, Mohanlal urged students not to confine their talents to the festival stage alone but to develop them further and present them to the world.

“This is not a competition; it is a festival,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said children are capable of realising Kerala’s dreams and described them as the state’s demographic dividend.

“Our wish is that children should not migrate in large numbers to countries such as Canada, Germany or Britain, but continue to live here. We are all responsible for migration,” he said.

He warned that if children leave Kerala en masse, the state could turn into an old-age home.

“Let that not happen if we take the right decisions,” he said.

Satheesan appreciated Education Minister V Sivankutty for allowing Siya Fathima, who is suffering from vasculitis, to participate in the festival through online mode.

“The most important component of good governance is empathy. Sivankutty’s decision reminded me of that,” he said.

Sivankutty said this edition of the Kalolsavam would be remembered for allowing Siya Fathima to compete online from her home.

“If we can become a source of comfort to those who could not participate, it is greater than winning a trophy,” he said.

The minister said the government would provide a house to Sachu Satheesh from Kasaragod, who participated in the festival despite adverse circumstances. “This is not charity, but respect for talent,” he said.

Sivankutty said the government would consider setting up arts training centres on the lines of sports divisions to nurture artistic talent.

He said the appointment of specialist teachers to train students in the arts would be expedited and assured job security for teachers involved in arts and sports training.

He added that the schedule for school-, sub-district- and district-level arts and sports competitions would be announced soon after the start of the academic year to help students prepare better.

To address complaints at school-level arts competitions, observers from outside the schools would be appointed, he said.

He also said the system of awarding grace marks for participation in arts events would be studied scientifically, and appropriate changes would be made.

Studies would also be conducted to make the arts festival more inclusive.

Ministers K Rajan, A K Saseendran and R Bindhu, Speaker A N Shamseer and Thrissur Mayor Niji Justin also spoke at the function.