Merely hours after senior actors of the Malayalam film industry expressed their worries over a statement made by filmmaker Kamal, he has apologised.
Senior actors Madhu, Janardanan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma and KPAC Lalitha wrote to film minister AK Balan, about their shock in reading Kamal’s statement regarding AMMA. Kamal, also the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy, had reportedly said that a lot of senior artistes were staying in AMMA as they were waiting for “favours” from the film body.
Reacting to the letter, the filmmaker said that his words were misunderstood, and if they had hurt the senior actors in any way, he was sad about it. “I respect, admire and love them a lot. I express my regret if my words have caused them pain,” he told the media.
In their letter to the minister, also posted on the Facebook page of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes), the senior artistes say that they do not see the amount they get every month from AMMA as a ‘kaineetam’ (alms), but a touch of love.
“More than the amount of money, it is the love and concern behind it that gives us strength and shade. Only a narrow mind can see it as a favour. It shocks us that a person who sees one’s rights as favours is the head of the Chalachitra Academy,” they write.
They add that it is up to the minister to take any action reagarding this.
Kamal had a day before said that AMMA is an anti-democratic association and people were stupid to expect democracy from it. He also appreciated the four women who resigned from the association in light of actor Dileep, a rape accused, being reinstated in the film body, when the survivor is also an actor. Kamal added that he was saying all this from his 35 years of experience in the film industry.