Film fraternity downplays denial of nod for shooting in Thrikkakara

Chairperson asks applicants to wait till she consults Congress party leaders

Malayalam film fraternity has downplayed the development in which the Thrikkakara Municipality on Tuesday allegedly denied permission for shooting some scenes for a Malayalam film in locations in the municipality. While municipality Chairperson Ajitha Thankappan said she had not outrightly denied permission for using a location near the municipal complex for the film shoot, sources in the Film Employees’ Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) said that the film fraternity did not want to get into any controversy on the issue.

The Congress party leadership in the municipality said that permission was being granted for the film shoot on Wednesday and that the initial denial was only a form of expressing the party’s protest.

The development assumes significance in the wake of the arrest of Congress party leaders and workers, including former Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany, for the alleged attack on a car belonging to actor Joju George on November 2 during a Congress party protest against the fuel price hike. The protesters blocked the national highway between Edappally and Vyttila causing a massive traffic jam.

After that, Youth Congress workers had marched to the location of a film shoot in Kanjirappally demanding that the shoot, blocking public traffic, not be allowed. Culture Minister Saji Cherian slammed the Congress party’s move to prevent film shoots calling it damaging to the film industry in the State.

Ms. Thankappan said she only expressed her protest when an application was submitted seeking permission for the film shoot. She said she requested the applicants to leave the file with the municipal office and the application would be considered after consultations with Congress party leaders. The municipality is ruled by the United Democratic Front and Ms. Thankappan is a veteran Congress party leader in the municipality.

Ms. Thankappan said that Congress workers were agitated over the way in which party leaders and workers were arrested in connection with the vandalisation of the actor’s car and for the road blockade.

FEFKA sources said that the film fraternity did not want to work against or antagonise any political party and there was no need for any confrontation on the issue of the film shoot. They also pointed out that the Congress party’s top leadership did not favour obstruction of film shoots as had happened in some other parts of the State during the week.

The Opposition Left Democratic Front in the municipal council slammed what it said was the denial of permission for the film shoot. M.K. Chandrababu of the CPI(M) said that permission should have been granted for the film shoot.