Award winning director Dr D Biju who is known for his candid views and brave stances has said that he will boycott the Kerala state award distribution function if actor Mohanlal is made the chief guest.
The director, in a Facebook post, has severely criticised Cultural Minister AK Balan's move to invite Mohanlal as the chief guest for the event.
"By this move, it is understood that the minister is living in another world which is not aware of the contemporary developments in the Malayalam film world. A strong public mood has been emerging against the anti-women practices of the Malayalam cinema industry, against the atrocities and against superstar images. At this time, it was AMMA which took a regressive stand. They have repeatedly made it clear that they are with the accused; not with the victim. The organisation decided to bring back the accused actor immediately after a superstar assumed charge as president of it,” the post reads.
Biju goes on to summarise the events that have split the Malayalam film industry: “Four women, in protest of this, had quit the organisation and this was widely welcomed by the society and opened up for debate. Following these instances, the actor, who is also president of the organisation, held a press meet in which he reiterated that he and the organisation have been standing with the accused. The people of Kerala had strongly reacted against AMMA and the stands of the superstar. After this, the superstar visited the Cultural Minister, the minister received him by draping a shawl and made the statement that no one would be allowed to split the actors’ body."
Biju then says that now, the superstar, who is also president of the organisation, is going to be invited as the chief guest at a cultural event where the highest honour instituted by the state for creative contributions of the film world, will be conferred.
Biju has raised three questions for the minister who has invited Mohanlal:
1) The chief guests at the venue are the award winners, and also the chief minister who will present the awards. Why should another star be invited to the function? By doing this, does the cultural department imply that award winners including Indrans, who bagged the award for the best actor, have no glamour and hence only a superstar should be invited and given more importance than them?
2) Why doesn't the cultural department still not understand the inappropriateness of making a superstar, who doesn’t have any connection with the awards of the year, the chief guest? The government is ridiculing the artistes who will come to receive the award by doing this.
3) Artistes who are politically aware and have social values should not take part in a function like this. Being absent is also a strong political stand. My political and social stand as a member of the jury who determined the awards is to not attend the function. I am openly declaring it here. I will give the letter in writing after seeing the programme notice.
“I still hope that the cultural department will rethink about the ridiculous drama,” the post concludes.