A Malayalam thriller on IFFI sidelines

Shaji said the duo had tried to portray his Mammooty-starrer in poor light among the festival delegates. Considering the fact that the state-run academy was formed for the promotion of films from Kerala,its office-bearers attitude against my movie amounted to dereliction of official duty on their part. I am perturbed at the developments, he said.

Back from Goa after doing a promo for the ensuing International Film Festival of Kerala,Mohanan said he had only expressed his opinion against the inclusion of three Reliance ventures in the Indian Panorama. That might have irked the director of Kutty Srank,a Reliance production. But I have not named any director in my observations. The festival should not have dejected the directors who make movies without much financial support, he added.

Mohanan said Gautham Bhaskar,one of the jury members for selecting the Indian Panorama,had already alleged that jury chairman Muzafir Ali had shown excessive enthusiasm to include three Reliance productions in the panorama.

The row looks likely to trigger another controversy in the coming IIFK in Thiruvananthapuram as Kutty Srank was not slated for screening at the festival. Mohanan said Shaji had not entered his production for the IIFK. As a noted filmmaker from Kerala,we wanted Shajis work screened. But he said it was for Reliance to decide, he added.