Director M Lijeesh has filed a petition at the Kerala High Court seeking to set aside the Kerala State Awards For Malayalam Films & Writings On Cinema that was given for the year 2022. The petition has been moved amidst complaints before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairperson Ranjith misused his position to influence the jury of the 2022 state film awards.
Lijeesh, in his petition pointed out that since a few people have openly said about the way Ranjith interfered in the selection of awards, the Court should see that the awards that have been declared be cancelled. Incidentally, soon after the awards were announced last month, popular director Vinayan slammed Ranjith, for interfering in the decision of the jury when the awards were decided. To emphasize it, voice clips of members of the jury were also put out and then he approached Pinarayi Vijayan, who ordered a probe into the allegations.
The petitioner Lijeesh M is the director of the 2022 film Aakaashathinu Thaazhe. His plea has been submitted through advocates Prabhu KN, Manumon A, Rebin Vincent Gralan, and Dinesh G Warrier.
The All India Youth Front (AIYF), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), also urged CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cheriyan to direct an external agency to probe the allegations against Ranjith. Minister Saji Cheriyan, meanwhile, rejected the allegations against Ranjith at a press meet on Tuesday, referring to the filmmaker as a “gentleman” and a “legend”. The minister said Ranjith had no role in the award selection process and that such responsibilities were entirely in the hands of the award jury chaired by Bengali filmmaker Goutam Ghose. Ghose also backed Ranjith, and told the media that there had been no external interference in the jury’s decisions and that the selection was free and fair.