Sanal Kumar Sasidharan said he decided to withdraw his film as a mark of protest towards the festival authorities' 'insensitive behavior.' Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has withdrawn his film Sexy Durga from this edition's International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) to be held here from December 8 to 15.
In a Facebook post, the director said he decided to withdraw his film as a mark of protest towards the festival authorities' 'insensitive behavior.'
The film which has already won multiple international awards was selected in the section Malayalam Cinema Today of IFFK. Sanal Kumar said there were a lot of good films better than Sexy Durga which needed support and that Malayalam Cinema Today section was meant to promote such contemporary films which needed attention.
“As a film, which already got world attention, Sexy Durga doesn't need such a consolation from the Kerala Chalachitra Academy. If the academy was sincere to screen the film in the IFFK, it could have included the film in any other category as a token of appreciation for the recognition the film already received,” he said.
He also described the attitude of IFFK and the academy as 'insensitive and insulting.' Sanal Kumar also alleged that a top official had even said that the director could get lots of publicity if he were to withdraw the film and that he had become 'too big for IFFK now.'
Other films to be screened in the section Malayalam Cinema Today, are Dileesh Pothen movie Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, Mahesh Narayanan’s Take Off, Karutha Joothan directed by Salim Kumar, Lijo Jose Pellisery’s Angamaly Diaries, Maravi directed by Satish Babusenan and Santhosh Babusenan, and Athishayangalude Venal directed by Prashanth Vijay.
Two Malayalam films have been selected in the competition section of the IFFK - Aedan, directed by Sanju Surendran and Randu Peru directed by Prem Shankar.
Noted cinematographer Ramachandrababu is the chairman of the jury which selected the films.
Kalavoor Venu, M.G. Sasi, Judhajith Sarkar, and Veena Hariharan are other members of the jury.
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