Mammooty function cancelled for want of chief guest

MAY 11: The felicitation programme for Malayalam film superstar Mammooty, scheduled for May 14, has been postponed till after the monsoon,...

MAY 11: The felicitation programme for Malayalam film superstar Mammooty, scheduled for May 14, has been postponed till after the monsoon, the People’s Art Centre, the organisers of the programme, announced today. The Centre attributed the cancellation of the event to “several organisational problems” and, more importantly, “the non-availability of a chief guest for the function.”

Much hype had been whipped up over the scheduled visit of Mammooty to Mumbai, with the organisers launching a strong publicity campaign to promote the event and releasing many advertisements for the purpose. Therefore the cancellation of the event has come as a surprise.

Though efforts to contact officials of the People’s Art Centre proved futile, the grapevine has it that the controversy currently brewing in Kerala over the role of Mammotty and another Malayalam superstar Mohanlal in the CPI-M promoted Malayalam Channel could be the reason behind the sudden cancellation of the visit.

Story continues below this ad

Mammooty was appointed chairman of Malayalam Communications Pvt Ltd, which is launching Malayalam TV. This has kicked off a row as opposition parties have alleged that party funds have been siphoned off to promote a private channel. The CPI-M, on its part, has strongly denied any party involvement.

In another development, Mohanlal in a recent interview to a newspaper recently has categorically said that he shall withdraw his participation if the new channel is a political party venture.

Congress may agree to Tejashwi as CM face to get Bihar alliance back on track

Political Pulse2 hr ago

Tejashwi Yadav is set to be the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan alliance, as talks have resolved differences and reduced friendly fights. Though a seat-sharing deal has not been announced, a positive meeting with RJD's leadership has reassured the alliance's unity and focus on bringing change to Bihar.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS