Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Tensions flared at the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) this week, as film producer Sandra Thomas clashed with office bearers over the rejection of her presidential nomination, an episode caught on video and now sparking wider debate. The video, which surfaced on August 4, shows Sandra confronting the returning officer who disqualified her candidacy for the upcoming KFPA elections. The basis of the rejection was quickly challenged by Sandra, while other members jumped into the dispute, escalating the scene into a loud and chaotic exchange.
According to Sandra, the association’s bylaws require candidates to have three censor certificates in their name to be eligible for office, and she had submitted three. However, the returning officer reportedly rejected her nomination on the grounds that only two of her films were produced under her current banner, Sandra Film Productions, and the remaining were associated with a previous company she no longer represents.
Sandra questioned this rationale, stating that all the censor certificates, regardless of which banner they came from, were in her name and should therefore be valid.
“I have nine films in my name, including successful movies that everyone knows of. Rejecting my application is a conspiracy. They know that they can’t beat me through a democratic process. You saw the thuggish behaviour of [producers] Siyad Kokker and Suresh Kumar there,” she told mediapersons, referring to the arguments that broke out, in which voices were raised, and Sandra could be heard telling Suresh Kumar to not point fingers at her.
This latest clash follows a long-standing conflict between Sandra and the KFPA. Tensions reached a peak last year after the publication of the Hema Committee report, which exposed systemic issues in the Malayalam film industry. S
Sandra publicly spoke out about the harassment faced by female film producers and the presence of a caucus of men who decided how things ran. She was temporarily ousted from the association after this, but she went to the court to regain her membership. Sandra also filed cases of harassment against several members of the association. Earlier this year, she shared threatening audio messages that she’d received from production controllers, prompting more police cases.
Last month, she made waves, coming to file her nomination in a burqa, calling it the ‘safest attire’ to come to the office of the KFPA.