Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Thursday appealed to celebrities attending youth festivals to remember their roots and not to insist on large remuneration for their appearances.

The minister was addressing the inaugural gathering of the Kerala University Arts Festival, in the presence of Malayalam actor Navya Nair, who was the chief guest at the function.

Sivankutty also highlighted the financial challenges faced by university arts festivals and praised actor Mammootty for not seeking payment for attending the closing ceremony of the recent state school arts festival.

Navya, who spoke at the event after Sivankutty, assured that she does not forget her origins and clarified that she had not been compensated for attending the Youth Fest. “Many students lose their lives at campuses nowadays. Parents are sending their children to colleges with great expectations”, Navya stated.

The actor also stressed the importance of students prioritising their lives and well-being over academic success and criticised the glorification of drug use and violence in movies for their negative impact on youth. Navya urged students to lead good lives and strive positively, despite the pressures they face.

In a related incident, several students walked out during the speech of the university Vice Chancellor, Dr Mohanan Kunnummal. Following the walkout, the VC expressed his appreciation for the students who chose to stay and listen to him.