Thiruvananthapuram: There is no dearth of controversies when it comes to the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). The latest one is a statement by National award winner, Surabhi, on her denial of the pass to the festival.
A day after the allegation by the actress that she was neither invited nor given a delegate pass to attend the festival, the festival director and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal on Sunday said there was no practice of honoring National award or State award winners at the IFFK.
“There are many people who have got National and State awards but IFFK has never honored any of the winners ever. The Academy itself conducts a separate function called National Film Festival where all the National award winners are honored every year,” Kamal said.
He also pointed out that the festival began with out celebration, remembering the victims of Ockhi tragedy and that it was not possible to call Surabhi and change the entire schedule which was already fixed.
“Controversies are part and parcel of IFFK but we have the responsibility to respond according to the circumstances,” said Kamal putting on a bold face.
Surabhi, who brought the National best actress award to the State after 14 years, had earlier alleged that she couldn’t get a delegate pass and that her film Minnaminingu did not figure in the festival schedule. She is planning to have a parallel screening of her movie at 2.30 pm on December 12 at Lenin Balavadi here.
The actress said she wanted to watch the movie at IFFK to know the audience response and that she was not even invited for the inauguration of the festival either.
Incidentally, State award-winning actress, Rajisha Vijayan, was invited as a special guest to the function.