Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh controversy has erupted in the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy as nine of the 15-member board have sought the removal of director Ranjith as the chairman of the academy. According to reports, the members of the academy raised the demand during the meeting on the penultimate day of the 28th International Film Festival of Kerala here on Thursday. 

When this meeting was going on, Ranjith was present in his room next door to the meeting venue.  According to reports, the members of the association have submitted a complaint before the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy secretary C Ajoy. In the complaint, the nine members alleged that Ranjith never considered their opinion and termed his decisions arbitrary. 

Manoj Kana, Cuckoo Parameswaran, N Arun, Mummy Centuary, Prakash Sreedhar, Shaibu Mundakkal, A S Jobu, Siby and Santhosh are the nine members who openly revolted against the chairman.

"If the complaint is found genuine, minister Saji Cherian can initiate action against me," Ranjith said responding to the issue.

Ranjith, director of popular Malayalam films has been facing flak for his remarks against renowned director Dr Biju. According to reports, he criticised Dr Biju's latest film ' Adrishya Jalakangal' and termed the release of the movie irrelevant observing that such movies fail to woo audience to theatres. 'Adrishya Jalakangal' starring Tovino Thomas which was initially denied screening in the ongoing International Film Festival of Kerala was later included in the ‘kaleidoscope’ section. 

The issues related to Ranjith's controversial statement escalatated on Wednesday when Biju resigned from the post of director of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.

Now, with the festival to end on Friday and when the academy gets back to its routine work, this issue is certainly going to surface as the first shot has been fired when the majority of the board members of the academy want Ranjith to step down.

(with PTI inputs)