Kerala government denies inviting Mohanlal as chief guest for State Film Awards

After 100 people, including people from the Malayalam film industry, wrote to the Kerala government that Mohanlal should not be invited as the chief guest to the annual Kerala State Film Awards in August, support started coming for the actor.

Award winning actor Prakash Raj, who was said to be among the 100 signatories, on Tuesday denied that he was among them.

"I wish to say that I have not signed any such thing that Mohanlal ji, should not be invited," he said.

State culture minister AK Balan told the media that no decision was taken that Mohanlal will be the chief guest.

After this, Edavela Babu, general secretary of actors body Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), said that there seemed to be some conspiracy that was being whipped up against Mohanlal.

"When the state government itself has now said that Mohanlal was never invited, then how come there is a demand that he should not be invited. There is something happening against the actor," he said.

Film bodies like Film Employees Federation of Kerala, and the Film Chamber as well as distributors and exhibitors have also come out in support of the superstar.

Mohanlal, who last month took over as president of AMMA, first came under fire from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) for revoking the suspension of accused actor Dileep's membership from the organisation. Dileep is one of the accused in the 2017 kidnapping and sexual assualt case of an actress.