Thiruvananthapuram: Police took a man into custody after he booed at Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan upon his arrival at the inauguration of the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) here on Friday. According to reports, the accused, Romeo Rajan (28), is a practising advocate at the Kerala High Court.

"He is being questioned, and his details are being collected. It does not appear he is affiliated with or part of any organisation. Based on his responses to our questions, we will decide whether to lodge an FIR and arrest or release him," the officer told PTI.

According to the officer, the advocate held an older IFFK pass and was known to attend the event regularly. TV visuals showed the man booing as the Chief Minister exited his vehicle and headed towards the venue. The police promptly detained the man and escorted him away from the scene.

Ironically, the IFFK opening film, which was screened at the same venue soon after the inauguration, was about the military dictatorship of Brazil in the 1970s. The film “I’m Still Here,” directed by Walter Salles, tells the real-life story of dissident politician Rubens Paiva, who was, among many others, illegally detained by the military. Based on a book by Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the politician’s son, the Portugese film has been critically acclaimed for its realistic portrayal of the agony citizens suffer under dictatorship. 

During his inaugural address, CM Vijayan was all praise for the political nature of the IFFK as he opened the 29th edition of the state's key cultural event in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. 
"It's a matter of happiness and pride that IFFK is known as the film festival with the best political content in the world," the chief minister said.