Malayalam filmmaker Jeo Baby announced that he is withdrawing his film Freedom Fight from the Happiness International Film Festival in Kannur, conducted by the Government of Kerala from December 19-21. He said that the withdrawal is in protest against the organisers’ decision to have the festival inaugurated by filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who had defended the caste discrimination at the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam, in the recent weeks.
"We are withdrawing the film in protest against the decision to have the festival inaugurated by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who has been running a dictatorial rule at the KR Narayanan Institute and ruining the future of so many students. We are strongly opposing this decision by the Chalachitra Academy and the state government," read a Facebook post by Jeo, who is known for his works like The Great Indian Kitchen and Kunju Daivam. His Freedom Fight is an anthology of five films, made by five different directors, including himself.
The state's Chalachitra Academy, which runs the annual International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), had announced on the last day of the IFFK that there will be a three-day film festival called the Happiness Film Festival at Thaliparamba in Kannur between December 19 and 21, that will screen world cinema.
During IFFK, a few filmmakers including Jeo Baby and Aashiq Abu had voiced their support for the students protesting against caste discrimination by Shankar Mohan, the director of the KR Narayanan Institute. They had also condemned the support that he received from Adoor, who is the chairman of the institute. In his Facebook post on December 18, Jeo reiterated, "We demand that action be taken against Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shankar Mohan."
At the IFFK, filmmakers Mahesh Narayanan and Kamal had also come in support of the protesting students. A large protest was held on the day that Adoor’s first film Swayamvaram was screened, celebrating 50 years of its release.
Watch: Caste discrimination at KR Narayanan film institute