It seems to be the rounding of poetic justice for fish-selling girl Hanan. She had become a celebrity overnight after the clips of her selling fish went viral and film-maker Arun Gopy offerred her a role in a Pranav-starrer movie.
But all the applause was short-lived after negative reports that the whole episode, including the fish selling and the film role, were part of scripted publicity exercise. Adding fuel to fire Arun Gopy posted on FB that he would 'correct the misstep.'
But, Onmanorama, on independent verification, found that Hanan's tale was true to the bone.
Hanan, evidently shattered by the fame at dusk and fall at dawn, told Onmanorama that she was unable to even sell fish due to all the negative publicity which wafted in through the juggle of 'unverified and baseless reports.'
Also, director Arun Gopy told Onmanorama that he had not verified the facts when he made the initial FB post. He said he stood by the initial offer and Hanan would play a role in the movie, 'Irupathiyonnaam Noottaandu.'
“Why would a Pranav Mohanlal movie need publicity? I myself came to know about the news through the media and shared the post on my Facebook page. That's when someone wrote on my timeline saying it would be of help if I could do something. And that's how the whole idea of roping her for a role in my own movie came to mind. I contacted her and she even agreeed," Arun Gopy told Onmanorama.
“She should be an inspiration to many and unlike rumors it has got nothing to do with publicising my movie," he said.
Hanan, an undergraduate student of chemistry at Al Azhar College, Thodupuzha, had been doing odd jobs to take care of her indisposed mother.
Al Azhar College managing director Mijaz CK told Onmanorama that Hanan's was a genuine case. "Her parents are long separated. Her only sibling is taken care of by her father's family. Hanan is single-handedly fighting her life to win bread, to gain good education and look after her ailing mother," he said.
