Mammootty, Mohanlal close ranks
Mollywood superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal whose fans associations take on each other in cinemas have closed ranks as the campaign against the actors and directors associations by rebel MACTA federation gained momentum.
Mammootty on Saturday told newsmen in Alappuzha that the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) would resolve all outstanding issues with veteran actor Tilakan soon.
Tilakan had alleged that a superstar and the directors’ outfit FEFKA had imposed a ban on him. The 74-year-old award-winning actor alleged that this was part of an unwritten rule to boycott all those who cooperated with the rival Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) members.
Tilakan had been acting in a movie by MACTA leader and director Vinayan who had taken such films as “Adbuthadweepu”, a film in which about 500 dwarfs figured. Even as Tilakan blamed Mammootty as the person behind the ban which rendered him jobless, Mohanlal said th
at Mammootty will not be allowed to be singled out for attack. As a quid pro quo, Mammootty on Saturday rushed to the defence of Mohanlal who was blasted by prominent literary critic and orator Sukumar Azhikode for ridiculing his offer to mediate in the Tilakan issue.
“We have had enough of this public spat over the Tilakan issue. AMMA will resolve it within the organisation,’’ he said. Mammootty also termed as untrue the comments of Azhikode that Mohanlal had taken over even the property of his own brother. “I have been knowing Mohanlal and his family for the last 30 years. Nothing like that has happened,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the AITUC, trade union wing of the CPI continued its campaign against the alleged boycott of Tilakan and other film actors and technicians by AMMA and FEFKA for cooperating with the “rebels”.
“As long as films are meant for public consumption, everyone will have a right to speak about job and other issues in the industry,’’ said AITUC leader Kanam Rajendran.
