Antony Perumbavoor Vs Suresh Kumar: Producers' association backs its vice president, to go on strike

Kochi: In response to producer Antony Perumbavoor's recent online backlash against G Suresh Kumar, who had earlier announced to the media that the Malayalam film industry would go on strike from June 1, the Kerala Film Producers' Association (KFPA) issued a press statement on Friday supporting its vice president. The KFPA alleged that Antony Perumbavoor had not even participated in the meeting where the decision to strike was made.

"Taking a public stand on the matter without even participating in the meeting was uncalled for. What the vice president and senior producer Suresh Kumar said reflects the association's decision to stand up for producers suffering major losses due to increasing production costs. As a responsible collective, we will defend against any move targeting the association or its members," the statement, issued in the name of association secretary B Rakesh, read.

On Thursday, Antony Perumbavoor alleged that the decision to strike wasn't taken with the consensus of the producers' association. He also said that it would affect many families' livelihoods and that it is not the right step. He added the strike was due to pressure from certain corners. Actors Prithviraj, Unni Mukundan, Aju Varghese and Tovino Thomas supported Antony's stance. In response to the allegation, Suresh Kumar dismissed Antony's claims, saying he had been in the industry for 46 years and was already producing movies around the time Antony started watching films.

Meanwhile, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian said he had received a letter on the strike from Suresh Kumar, highlighting issues in the industry. "It has been forwarded to authorities for review. The Finance Department needs to handle the GST issue. The rest are about the film industry. The government doesn't think the situation demands a strike," said the minister.