Friday, February 19, 2010

Thilakan yesterday said the Malayalam film industry was in a deep crisis

Thilakan yesterday said the Malayalam film industry was in a deep crisis after major film organisations decided to boycott him. The Film Employees’ Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), of which all leading directors and technicians are members, yesterday decided not to ‘co-operate’ with the actor unless he withdraws ‘derogatory’ statements against it and apologise. Earlier in the day, Thilakan released a letter containing reply to last week’s show-cause notice issued by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) in which he refused to apologise for his unsavoury comments against superstar Mammootty and other film personalities. He alleged the AMMA had not come to his help when he was dropped from the film Christian Brothers after he was signed and given an advance payment.

“It did not come to my defence when fans of a superstar unleashed the propaganda that I had gone mad and threatened to kill me,” the actor said. “It’s clear that AMMA’s sympathy lies with a select few, whose interests are paramount to the organisation. Now let the people decide.” He said: “Nobody can predict what would happen tomorrow. This means this is the beginning of the end. It’s the death knell for the Malayalam film industry.” The 74-year-old veteran of 147 films received India’s fourth highest civilian honor Padma Shri last year. “With FEFKA too deciding not to co-operate with me, it signals the end of me as an actor because it is they who decide who should stand in front of the camera. The decision was on expected lines,” Thilakan said.

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