Thilakan accuses film moguls of sabotaging career

Thiruvananthapuram: The Malayalam film industry, which has in recent years felt the strain of different groups sparring against each other, has been plunged into fresh controversy with leading actor Thilakan accusing certain quarters of trying to destroy his career.

Thilakan's allegations met with a formal response yesterday, with the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (Fefka) denying the actor's claims.

Thilakan had alleged that the superstars in Malayalam cinema were enforcing their hidden agenda and putting down other actors, and that Malayalam cinema was being held hostage by certain quarters that wanted to protect their private turf.

Lacking evidence

Fefka strongly responded to those allegations today, stating that Thilakan's allegations were unfounded and that he ought to produce evidence before making such allegations. They also said that Thilakan was actually trying to bring a caste and political angle into the entire episode while it was the hope of the film fraternity that issues in the industry would not get politicised.

"We had been consciously keeping away from reacting to Thilakan's allegation because we thought there was little merit in what he was saying. We hoped that he would get tired of making those statements, but seeing that he is going on making such comments, we have thought it fit to respond," Fefka general secretary B. Unnikrishnan told media persons today.

Reacting to Thilakan's allegations that he had been deliberately kept out of movies and that the actor in him was being forced to "commit suicide", Unnikrishnan said there was no move from Fefka's side to keep him out of movies.

"If Thilakan can prove his allegation that I had written a letter to keep him out of the movie Christian Brothers I am willing to resign from the post of Fefka general secretary," Unnikrishnan said.