Exclusion of films: VS urges CM to intervene

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan has urged Chief Minister  Oommen Chandy to intervene to correct the ‘wrong decision’ of omitting the film ‘Aadimadhyantham’ from the competition section of the 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). In a letter to the Chief Minister, he said that the decision to exclude the film unanimously selected by a committee formed as per rule was unreasonable.  He said the Chalachithra Academy had intimated the producer and the director of the film through a press release that the film was selected unanimously. Later, Minister for Film Industry K B Ganesh Kumar said that the film was submitted in incomplete form and, as if to prove this, without the consent of the producer and the director, he screened the film before mediapersons, Achuthanandan said. Following this, the Minister said that the film would be excluded from the film festival. A few days later, the Chalachithra Academy chairman  made an official statement in this regard, he said in his letter.  Achuthananthan said that it was illegal to screen the film selected for the festival. It was a disgrace to omit a film which has already attracted commendations from experts. The government has insulted the film personalities behind the cinema and the selection committee. It was a disgrace to have no Malayalam cinema in the competition section, he said in his letter.  He requested the CM to intervene in the issue and ‘correct the mistake’ and include Adimadhyantham in the competition section of the IFFK.