Section: Life

Female Actor Assualt Case: Kerala HC Dismisses Dileep’s Plea to Halt Further Probe

BY Chandhini R On

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed actor Dileep’s plea seeking to suspend further investigation in the 2017 female actor abduction and assault case.

Dileep is the eighth accused in the case. He has been charged as the chief conspirator behind the abduction and sexual assault of the female Malayalam actor by a group of men in a moving car in February 2017.

Dismissing his plea, Justice Kauser Edappagath said that the investigating agency can continue with its probe but directed that the investigation be concluded by April 15. 

A fresh probe in the case was ordered by the trial court after filmmaker Balachandra Kumar brought up serious allegations against Dileep and his associates, late last year. Kumar said that Dileep had watched the video of the assault at his house, that the actor knew the first accused Pulsar Suni, and had influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case, who had turned hostile during the trial.

Earlier in February, one of Dileep’s advocates Philip T Varghese told Silverscreen India that they had filed a petition seeking to stop further investigation as it was holding up the trial in the assault case.

In his plea, Dileep argued that continued investigation in the case should not be permitted as the final report had already been filed in November 2017. “In the name of further investigation, what is being carried out is a series of vindictive acts by a set of police officers, including very senior officers. They also want to impose a case against the petitioner and all the other male members of his family and people who are closely associated with him,” his counsel argued.

On February 15, when Dileep’s plea was heard in the court, the survivor submitted an application stating that she wanted the court to hear her before deciding on the plea.

During the hearing on February 21, opposing Dileep’s plea, the survivor noted that in several cases, the Supreme Court had held that the accused has no say in the matter of investigation or any further inquiry. Hence, Dileep had no right to challenge the proceedings of the trial court, she added. The survivor further asked to be added as an additional third respondent in the case in the interest of justice.

On February 24, the court had reserved the orders in the petition after hearing all the parties extensively for over three days. This order was passed on Tuesday.

For a full timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Liju Krishna, Director of ‘Padavettu’, Arrested on Rape Charges

BY Chandhini R On

Filmmaker Liju Krishna, who is set to make his directorial debut with the upcoming Malayalam film Padavettu, was taken into police custody on Sunday, after a crew member accused him of rape. 

Speaking to Silverscreen India, a police officer associated with Kakkanad Infopark station confirmed the director’s arrest. The case was registered based on a complaint filed by a young woman who had worked with him on the upcoming film. 

The director was arrested by the Kakkanad Infopark police from the shooting location of Padavettu in his hometown, Kannur.  

Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation of women working in the Malayalam film industry, has put out a statement condemning this heinous act. In the social media post, WCC noted that this is yet another shocking incident of sexual abuse, even as the film industry and the government are still discussing the implementation of the POSH Act and whether the Justice Hema Committee report should be made public. “WCC stands with the survivor and salutes her courage in speaking up,” the organisation added.

The WCC also put forth a couple of demands, namely the suspension of the accused’s membership in all film bodies and that he be barred from working in the Malayalam film industry, until the verdict is out. 

“WCC reiterates the need for immediate implementation of POSH Act in Malayalam film productions and a zero tolerance policy to sexual harassment across the industry,” the statement concluded.

The WCC was formed in the wake of the 2017 female actor abduction and assault case, in which actor Dileep has been charged as the main conspirator. The organisation aims to promote a safer working environment for women in the Malayalam film industry.

Padavettu stars Aditi Balan, Nivin Pauly and Manju Warrier in pivotal roles. It is backed by Sunny Wayne Productions. Krishna had previously written and directed a theatre play, titled Moment Just Before Death, which was also produced by Sunny Wayne. 

The production of Padavettu, which was expected to release this year, has currently been halted following Krishna’s arrest.

‘Want To Get My Dignity Back’: Actor Bhavana Opens Up About 2017 Sexual Assault

BY Chandhini R On

“I would rather give a strong fight without worrying about the outcome than see such people (perpetrators of her sexual assault) walk away as if they did nothing wrong,” actor Bhavana Menon, who survived abduction and sexual assault in 2017, said in an exclusive interview with Barkha Dutt on Sunday.

On February 17, 2017, Menon, who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada film industry, was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car en route to Kochi from Thrissur. Five years on, the perpetrators have still not been convicted.

For the first time since her assault, Menon spoke about the incident in a live video interview at the Global Townhall 2022 event hosted by Mojo Story. Though barred from openly discussing the details, as the case is still under trial, the actor spoke about her journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor and her traumatic experience with victim-blaming.

“When I went to go to court for 15 days in 2020 (over a period of seven months), from morning to evening, each and every second, I was trying to prove that I did not do anything wrong. I am innocent and I am not the one who should be sitting here facing seven different lawyers and their questions, cross-examinations. That’s when I felt very, very lonely. I felt like it was me versus the world,” she said. 

Menon added that even she had blamed herself for a long time after the incident. However, when she came out of the court after the trial in 2020, she felt like a survivor and not a victim anymore. “I am not just standing up for myself but also for the dignity of all the girls who come after me.”

The actor pointed out that some media channels went to the extent of accusing her of faking the case. “While I was trying to stand up and face life again, these kinds of things were pulling me down. It was very painful.”

On putting out her first public statement about the incident on social media in January 2022, she said, “I wanted to let people know that this is what has been happening in my life. I am so grateful for those who stood by me and when I put it out there, it was very, very cathartic.”

When asked about speaking out against an extremely powerful person [actor Dileep, who is charged as the chief conspirator of the assault] in court, Menon said that she had thought of quitting many times but her will and support system pushed her to keep fighting. “My dignity is shredded to a million pieces and I want to get it back. So many have been standing by me and the strength they give me is enormous.”

Menon revealed that she was largely shunned in the Malayalam film industry after she chose to fight for justice. But, she also noted that some of her good friends – Ashiq Abu, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jinu Abraham, Bhadran, Shaji Kailas and Jayasurya – offered her work. “I had to turn it down, however. I was too traumatised to come back to the same industry and pretend as if nothing had happened. I was not in the right frame of mind and I stayed away for my peace of mind. I continued to work in other languages.”

She added that she has now started listening to Malayalam scripts again. 

The actor also mentioned that she has received many messages from survivors of sexual assault who said that they had chosen to remain silent out of fear. Terming this “horrifying,” she noted that as a society, we need to normalise survivors coming out and speaking about the trauma that they’ve undergone.

For a complete timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Sonakshi Sinha Issued Non-Bailable Warrant in 2019 Fraud Case

BY Ananya Shankar On

Hindi film actor Sonakshi Sinha has been issued a non-bailable warrant in a fraud case that was filed in 2019, which alleged that she took Rs 37 lakhs for attending an event in Delhi but had failed to show up.

The event’s organiser Pramod Sharma, a resident of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, had invited Sinha as the chief guest for an event. Following her absence at the event, he had asked for a refund. However, the actor’s manager refused to pay the amount back and Sharma claimed that he had repeatedly tried to get in touch with Sinha herself, to sort out the matter.

After which, Sharma filed a complaint at the Katghar police station alleging fraud and Sinha had come down to Moradabad to record her statement. However, at present, due to her continuous absence, the court has issued a non-bailable warrant against her.

The actor was quick to deny the allegations made against her by Sharma, back in 2019. A statement was released by Sinha’s team mentioning that although she was approached for attending an event in Delhi, the organisers failed to send in payments despite reminding them multiple times. It further mentioned that the tickets for a round-trip, to and from Delhi, were also not sent in by the organisers to Sinha and her team.

“This put everyone in a tough spot…Ever since that day, Sonakshi’s management agency has been trying to reach out to the organiser to find an amicable solution, to the extent of offering an alternate date and tried to connect but to no avail,” it added.

The statement concluded that the actor and her team will pursue legal action to set the record straight if the organiser persisted with these claims.

Recently, Sonakshi Sinha participated in the Da-Bangg tour in Dubai along with Salman Khan, Pooja Hedge and Disha Patani, among others. On the professional front, the actor has finished shooting for her next film Kakuda co-starring Riteish Deshmukh and Saqib Saleem.

‘The Boys’ Actor Antony Starr Arrested in Spain, Gets One-Year Suspended Prison Sentence

BY Ananya Shankar On

Actor Antony Starr, who is best known for his role as Homelander in the Amazon Prime series The Boys, was arrested in Spain earlier this week. The news of his arrest was reported in a local newspaper La Información.

According to Variety, the 46-year-old actor has been sentenced to one year in prison and has been fined $5,464.97. The indemnification must be paid within 72 hours of the arrest. Since Antony Starr has no previous criminal record and the conviction period was less than two years, the prison sentence was automatically suspended.

However, when Variety contacted the local police department, they neither commented on the reason for Starr’s arrest nor did they confirm the duration of his prison sentence.

Deadline reported that Starr was arrested by the police for assaulting a 21-year-old Venezuelan chef in a club. The chef, Bathuel Araujo told the police that the actor was inebriated and kept bumping into people. After a verbal argument, the chef alleged that Starr got physical and hit him with a glass. The altercation caused him to get four stitches above his eye. However, the fight did not end there. The two once again got into a fight until the police came and arrested Starr.

The Boys actor then spent the night in jail.

Araujo reportedly told local newspapers that he did not know who Antony Starr was but the actor threatened him after their initial scuffle by saying, “You won’t know who I am and what you’ve done.”

Starr has been in Spain for a month shooting for director Guy Ritchie’s new action-thriller film alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Alexander Ludwig, Jason Wong, and Emily Beecham.

Since the shooting for the third season of The Boys has been wrapped up, Antony Starr’s arrest will have an impact on its release. The other cast members of the show are scheduled to appear at the South by South West film festival next week in Texas. However, Starr was not to make an appearance due to his shoot in Spain.

Kannada Actor Chetan Kumar Says His Arrest was a State-Sponsored Conspiracy to Intimidate & Harass Him

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Kannada actor Chetan Kumar says his recent arrest over a tweet on the judge hearing the ongoing Hijab case was a State-sponsored conspiracy to harass and intimidate him into keeping quiet.

In conversation with Silverscreen India, Chetan, who is currently out on bail, says, “I don’t know who they are, but there are immensely powerful forces behind this.”

Recollecting the day of his arrest, the actor says three police officials came to his house, including an inspector named Ravi. He was taken into custody around 3.30 pm in the afternoon of February 22 without any notice or arrest warrant. “I was essentially just taken in a car surrounded by police officers and stripped off my phone and held at Sheshadripuram police station.” No one was informed about his arrest either.

After he was taken into custody, there was no sign-up or any declaration of the arrest, he adds. “I did not know why I was there and I was asking who the complainant was. But there was no complainant. They showed me no chargesheet or FIR.”

It was only around 10.30 or 11 pm that Inspector Ravi from Sheshadripuram police station informed Chetan that the police had taken suo moto cognisance of his tweet and arrested him.

The actor believes exceptionally powerful people – be they part of the police, in the government or the judiciary – are behind the incident. He adds that Inspector Ravi was likely a scapegoat. “He seemed like a pawn in this whole charade,” he says, adding that it is unlikely for an officer like him to “have the kind of conviction or police power to unilaterally take such kind of action, especially when it’s unjustified.”

Chetan says the situation seemed more like someone had said, “Let’s throw him in jail and then figure out how we’re going to do that.”

Photo Source: Chetan Kumar Instagram

“As they put me in the police station, they realised that a lot of people would come. So, they secretly transported me to another police station and kept me there for eight to nine hours until 12 o’clock, and then took me to the magistrate and then to jail.”

Chetan’s wife Megha showed up at the police station, along with several activists from across the state. She went live on Facebook and narrated what had happened.

Regarding the tweet in question, Chetan says it was an innocuous, harmless tweet, and not one that “promotes enmity between communities or incites communal conflicts” as the police claim, which would be a non-bailable offence.

On February 16, the actor had tweeted questioning whether Justice Krishna Dixit of the Karnataka High Court was the right person to be hearing the Hijab case. Sharing one of his own tweets from two years ago, about the same judge granting bail to a rape accused on the grounds that the victim had not behaved as an “Indian woman” who was “ravished” would, Chetan wrote, “This is a tweet I wrote nearly two years ago regarding a Karnataka High Court decision. Justice Krishna Dixit made such disturbing comments in a rape case. Now this same judge is determining whether hijabs are acceptable or not in government schools. Does he have the clarity required?”

“It’s just a question,” Chetan tells Silverscreen India. “I pointed out the misogynistic judgment of 2020 because the current Hijab issue is not just a cultural, religious, or education issue. It’s also a gender issue. So the tweet was providing relevant background knowledge on the judge.”

“Nobody is beyond questioning, beyond the purview of the democracy or the law, but they act like they are,” he adds.

The actor states that what happened to him was “essentially kidnapping” and creating “fabricated spurious charges” to crush him for speaking out about equality and social justice. He says that the State and the police think he is a “threat to their corrupt, unjust system.”

Photo Source: Actor Chetan Kumar Twitter

On February 25, Chetan was granted bail. However, the jail authorities stalled his paperwork, the actor claims, and because it was a Friday, he was held in custody over the weekend. He was finally released around 9 pm on Monday.

There have been media reports that Chetan, who is a US citizen, might be deported to the USA. Asked about this, the actor tells us, “It’s seems to be a kind of sensationalised media swoop in order to create some sort of fear in our movement rather than anything actually credibly happening.”

Chetan has to appear in court on Sunday and a few more times in the next 20 days as part of his bail condition. He has still not got his phone back from the police. However, the actor states that this incident will not deter him from continuing to speak out.

Australian Cricketer Shane Warne Dies of Heart Attack at 52

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Australian cricketer Shane Warne died of a suspected heart attack, Fox Sports reported. Warne was found unresponsive in his villa, in Koh Samui, Thailand. He was 52.

“Shane was found unresponsive in his villa and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he could not be revived. The family requests privacy at this time and will provide further details in due course,” read the statement released by Warne’s management.

Warne played in the Indian Premier League and other Twenty20 competitions before retiring from all international cricket in 2013 but continued to be involved in the game as a broadcaster.

The news of Warne’s death came within 24 hours of the passing for another former Australian cricketer, Rod Marsh, after he suffered a major heart attack last week.

Warne was born in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in 1969, and studied on a sports scholarship. Affectionately known as ‘Warnie’, he made his Test debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground against India and catapulted to international recognition, in 1993, when he delivered what came to be known as the “ball of the century”.

His international career spanned across 15 years and saw him take 708 Test wickets — the most ever for an Australian, and the second-most of all time behind only Muttiah Muralitharan. Warne was also a member of Australia’s World Cup win in 1999.

Warne is survived by children Jackson Warne, Summer Brooke, and Brooke Warne.

Members from the cricket community expressed their grief and condolences on social media.

Virat Kohli, former captain of the Indian cricket team, took to social media and wrote, “Life is so fickle and unpredictable. I cannot process the passing of this great of our sport and also a person I got to know off the field. RIP #goat. Greatest to turn the cricket ball.”

Wasim Akram, renowned Pakistani fast-bowler, wrote on Twitter, “I am shocked and extremely sad to hear about the sudden death of my friend Warnie… he has always been in touch and always helpful.. apart from an iconic bowler he was a great entertainer… my condolences to the family and friends .. rest in peace my friend.”

Shoaib Akhtar, former Pakistani cricketer, wrote on Twitter, “Just heard the devastating news about legendary Shane Warne passing away. No words to describe how shocked & sad i am. What a legend. What a man. What a cricketer.”

Indian cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle wrote, “I am in agony. Grief. And have no words. I was lucky enough to know him well. The magic will stay forever. #ShaneWarne #GreatestOfHisKind. In disbelief.”

Visuals of Female Actor Assault Accessed Illegally, Says Prosecution in Dileep Case

BY Chandhini R On

In a report filed before the Additional Special Sessions Court, on Thursday, in the female actor abduction and sexual assault case, the prosecution has said that a memory card containing visuals of the sexual assault, which was in court custody, was accessed illegally. 

In February 2017, a female actor who predominantly works in Malayalam and Kannada cinema was abducted and sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving car en route to Kochi from Thrissur. After almost five years, the case gained momentum again at the end of 2021 when some serious allegations were levelled against actor Dileep – one of the accused and the supposed mastermind behind the attack – by filmmaker Balachandra Kumar. He alleged that Dileep had watched the video of the sexual assault at his house, that the actor knew the first accused Pulsar Suni, and had influenced some of the significant witnesses in the case who turned hostile during the trial.

Following this, the victim sought further investigation in the case, and the court ordered a fresh probe and directed the investigating team to file a report on the findings.

The report on Thursday was filed in accordance with this direction. However, the court diary notes that it mentions nothing regarding the investigation conducted from February 1 to March 1.

The court diary also notes that the investigating team has sought three more months to complete the probe and adds, “Since there is nothing in the report regarding the investigation conducted using the period granted by this court, this court is not in a position to fix a time for the remaining part of the investigation as directed by the Supreme Court.”

Further, the report filed before the court also stated that the memory card in court custody, which contained visuals of the sexual assault, was accessed illegally.

It is notable that in February, the survivor had moved the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the alleged leaking of visuals from a lower court in the past. She said that the visuals were accessed by someone at the Principal and Sessions Court of Ernakulam.

The court diary states that the investigating officer has been directed to furnish details about the alleged illegal access to the memory card kept in the custody of the court in a sealed cover.

The officer has also been ordered to file a proper report before the court containing all details regarding the probe on or before March 10.

The deadline set by the Supreme Court to complete the trial expired on February 16. However, the trial court has sought an extension. 

For a complete timeline of the female actor abduction and assault case, see here.

Marilyn Manson Sues Evan Rachel Wood over Sexual Abuse Accusation, Calls It ‘Malicious Falsehood’

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Marilyn Manson, the American singer also known as Brian Warner, has sued actor Evan Rachel Wood over her accusation of sexual abuse, terming it a “malicious falsehood” that has derailed his career.

The lawsuit filed on Wednesday also names Wood’s partner Ashley Gore aka Illma Gore, and further accuses the duo of hacking into the singer’s computers, phone and social media to fabricate evidence that he had circulated illicit pornography.

Wood, who is best known for her role in HBO’s Westworld, accused Manson of abusing her, back in February 2021. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail.”

Manson and Wood began dating in 2007 and got engaged in 2010, but broke up later that year. Wood was 19 at the time and Manson was 36. She had first shared in a letter to Rolling Stone in 2016 that she was raped by a “significant other,” but she did not name the singer at that time.

After her public accusation against Manson, four other women had posted about their own experiences of sexual abuse, violence, and intimidation at the singer’s hands.

Manson’s suit now alleges that Wood and Gore “secretly recruited, coordinated, and pressured prospective accusers to emerge simultaneously with allegations of rape and abuse against [Manson].”

It also alleges that they impersonated an FBI agent, and forged and distributed a fictitious letter to “create the false appearance that [Manson]’s alleged victims and their families were in danger, and that there was a federal criminal investigation ongoing.”

In addition to the lawsuit, Manson’s attorney, Howard King, told Deadline that his legal team has been able to “gather an overwhelming trove of evidence – including both documents and witness statements – which proves that the stories that Evan Rachel Wood and her co-conspirator Illma Gore have been falsifying and spreading are both vindictive and demonstrably untrue.”

Manson’s suit comes two weeks ahead of the release of the HBO Max documentary Phoenix Rising, which recounts Wood’s history as a sexual assault survivor and how her fight culminated in the passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights in all 50 states of the US.

No Evidence Aryan Khan Part of Drugs Conspiracy, Says NCB Report

BY Namrata Ganguly On

There is no evidence that Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, was a part of a drugs conspiracy or an international drugs trafficking syndicate, as per the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Hindustan Times reported.

Sources close to the agency further told the publication that there were several irregularities in the raid on the cruise ship, Cordelia, during which Aryan Khan was arrested.

On October 3, 2021, Khan was taken into custody by the NCB after drugs were seized on board the cruise ship. His bail was rejected multiple times following the agency’s claim that he had played a role in the illicit procurement and consumption of drugs. The NCB had also alleged that Aryan Khan was part of a larger conspiracy and had contacts with an international drug network.

The 23-year-old Khan was eventually granted bail by the Bombay High Court and he walked out of Arthur Road jail on October 30 after spending 26 days in custody.

As per the SIT’s latest findings, there was no need to seize Aryan Khan’s phone and check his chats because he was never in possession of drugs in the first place. Nor do the chats suggest that Khan was part of any international syndicate.

Earlier, during the last hearing of the case in November, the Bombay High Court had stated that there was no positive evidence to suggest a conspiracy between the three accused – Khan, Arbaaz Merchant and Munmun Dhamecha. The SIT’s findings thus far seem to bear this out.

The HT report notes that the probe by the SIT is not yet complete and it may take a couple of months for the team to submit its final report to NCB Director General SN Pradhan. According to one of the officials at the agency, legal opinion will be obtained before making a final decision on whether Aryan Khan can be charged for consumption even though he was not carrying any drugs.

The SIT is also probing further into the conduct of the agency’s former Mumbai Zonal Unit director Sameer Wankhede. The findings so far have uncovered that the raid on the cruise ship was not recorded on video as mandated by the NCB manual. Further, drugs recovered from multiple accused were shown as a single recovery in the records.

Update: However, as per a News18 report, the Director-General of NCB Sanjay Singh, who was also the chief of the SIT probing the drug case, denied the aforementioned findings and said that the statements were not cross-checked with the agency before publishing.

“As far as the media reports on non-availability of evidences against Aryan Khan are concerned, these are not true and are just speculations and nothing else. These statements were not cross-checked with NCB before being published. Investigation is not yet complete and it is premature to say anything at this stage,” he said.

Govt School Satellite Project Named After Late Actor Puneeth Rajkumar

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Karnataka Government School Students’ Satellite Project (KGS3Sat) has been named after late Kannada actor and producer Puneeth Rajkumar.

The project, through which a satellite is to be designed and launched by students from government schools in the state, will be called the ‘Puneeth Rajkumar Student Satellite Project’.

The satellite is slated to be one of the 75 satellites launched to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence. It will be launched by September, this year.

The project was launched on the occasion of National Science Day, on Monday, with an event conducted at the Government Pre-University College in Malleshwaram.

The ground station will be set up in the college premises and 100 students from 20 government schools have been selected to work on the project, based on their performance in several competitions and tests. Karnataka Science and Technology Minister Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana announced that both on-ground and online sessions, as well as hands-on learning and tutorials will be provided to the students in both Kannada and English, starting from April 22.

An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for the project was also signed during the event between the Karnataka Science and Technology Promotion Society and the Indian Technological Congress Association.

It was during this programme on Monday that Dr Narayana made the announcement about naming the project after Puneeth.

The 46-year-old actor, fondly known as ‘Power star’, died of a heart attack on October 22, 2021 at Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru. The actor was rushed to the hospital, after he complained of chest pain but was declared unresponsive when he was brought to the emergency department.

Following his demise, several honours have been posthumously bestowed on the actor, including the Kannada Ratna Award, the state’s highest civilian honour. Further, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) declared that a section of the Ring Road between Nayandahalli junction on Mysuru Road and Vega City Mall on Bannerghatta Road would be designated as ‘Sri Puneeth Rajkumar Road.’

Recently, actor Vijay paid homage to the late Kannada star at Kanteerava Studio in Bengaluru, where the latter was put to rest with full state honours. The Tamil actor also met with Rajkumar’s family members and offered his condolences.

WCC Stress Need for ICC in Art Institutions, Following Alleged Rape of Drama School Student by Dean

BY Chandhini R On

Members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) have urged the establishment of an Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) in all arts institutions, following the alleged sexual assault of a first-year student at the School of Drama and Fine Arts, Thrissur by the college dean.

Students from the institution began to protest after the accused went on the run last week. Subsequently, WCC, an organisation for women working in Malayalam cinema, issued a statement on Monday noting that the strike for the dismissal of the dean, led by the institution’s female students, was an important move. 

“The number of girls who study in art educational institutions is generally quite low. It is shocking that a girl who came to study drama after overcoming many obstacles tried to commit suicide after being sexually assaulted by her teacher,” the statement read. 

The WCC added that the incident highlighted the importance of having an ICC in all art institutions. “Creative spaces belong to women too. It is the responsibility of all such institutions and the government, to ensure safety and justice for women,” said the statement.

The accused dean, S Sunilkumar, was arrested on Tuesday by Thrissur West police and booked under IPC section 376 (Rape) based on a complaint from the undergraduate female student. He was immediately suspended by Calicut University, which manages the School of Drama and Fine Arts.

The WCC was formed by a group of female artists and technicians from the Malayalam film industry, including actors Manju Warrier, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Rima Kallingal, Geethu Mohandas, and editor Bina Paul, in the aftermath of the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault incident.

Since then, they have been constantly demanding the establishment of ICC/Grievance Redressal Cell in the Malayalam film industry, as mandated by the Supreme Court in the Vishaka case and the Sexual Harassment at Work Places (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. A PIL was filed by the WCC seeking the same, and in February, Kerala’s Women Commission also stressed the same and added itself as a respondent in the petition.

While that PIL is still pending, the makers of the upcoming Malayalam film 1744 WA (White Alto), Kabinii Films, have voluntarily established an ICC to address sexual harassment and misconduct complaints on their sets.

Ukrainian Filmmakers Mobilise Resources for Those Documenting Russian Invasion

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Ukrainian filmmakers have mobilised provisions and resources for those who are filming the Russian invasion of their country. From food and gasoline, to bulletproof vests and power banks, necessities are being sent across to those who are documenting the ongoing war.

Darya Bassel, the organiser and producer of the Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, told Variety, “We’re trying to help our friends who are in Kiev, because there are a lot of filmmakers and journalists [who are filming] events.”

“The first goal of all this filming is just to collect evidence of the crimes that Russians are doing to us,” said Bassel, adding that the second goal is to create films, but that comes later.

She added that all the Ukrainian filmmakers that she knows are either filming in Kyiv or in the eastern part of the country.

Russian troops entered Ukraine on February 21, from the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, even before the launch of the large scale invasion on February 24.

Bassel and her family evacuated the capital city of Kyiv and relocated to the Western town of Chernivtsi. Three days later, she set up the provisions channel for her fellow filmmakers and journalists. Aside from sourcing food and supplies, they are also trying to organise people with cars to drive filmmakers from point A to point B and to source supplies from countries like Germany, Poland, and Romania, Bassel explained.

Apart from filmmaking groups, Bassel said there is a group of editors helping filmmakers in editing their material, while she helps connects the two.

Bassel is one of the producers of the film A House Made of Splinters, which won the award for best direction at the Sundance Film Festival this year. The children who were a part of the film were recently evacuated to safety.

The film was to be screened at Bassel’s festival, which now stands postponed due to the war. “There is no one who would even watch it online right now, because people are either sitting in their basements, or they’re under really heavy attacks, or they are trying to help others escape or trying to leave the country,” she said.

She further added that she has received several offers from other festivals around Europe to host her selections, and has been sharing lists of recommendations with them.

100+ Russian Cinematographers Pen Open Letter Demanding an End to the Invasion of Ukraine

BY Shrija Ganguly On

In an open letter, several prominent Russian cinematographers have demanded an end to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

“We, Russian cinematographers, demand a stop to military aggression against Ukraine, an immediate ceasefire, and a withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory,” reads the letter that is undersigned by over a 100 cinematographers, and is spearheaded by Fedor Lyass (Hardcore Henry).

The signatories include Roman Vasyanov (Suicide Squad), Mikhail Krichman (Loveless, Leviathan), Vladislav Opelyants (Leto), Pavel Kapinos (Hardcore Henry), and Pavel Fomintsev (Unclenching the Fists).

While Russia launched a large-scale invasion only on February 24, Russian troops had earlier entered through the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which claimed to be independent territories.

The letter, which notes that the war began on February 22, goes on to say, “There is no geopolitical excuse, no goal of any kind that would justify taking human lives – don’t let propaganda convince you otherwise. The officially stated aims of this ‘operation’ have nothing to do with reality: the war is being fought across all of Ukraine, people are being killed or forced to flee their homes and spend their nights in bomb shelters. What can possibly justify that? What greater purpose is worth the people of Kyiv learning to tell a Grad rocket from a Smerch rocket by the sound? No such purpose exists.”

It further adds that “the so-called ‘military operation’ will isolate Russia from the rest of the world for decades, expel it from the international cultural scene, lead to devastating consequences for its economy, and stain us and our children with deserved disgrace.”

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, several of the country’s filmmakers, artists and general public have spoken out against their government’s actions and protested against the war.

“We have not done enough to prevent this war, but we do not want it — and will not let it be waged in our name,” says the open letter from the Russian cinematographers.

The invasion of Ukraine has also been decried by the international community, with countries like UK, US and Germany, as well as the European Union levying heavy economic sanctions on Russia.

Actor Amanda Bynes Files Petition to End 9-Year Conservatorship

BY Ananya Shankar On

After pop singer Britney Spears finally ended her conservatorship in November last year, 35-year-old English film actor Amanda Bynes is looking to do the same thing after nine years. Currently, the actor’s mother Lynn Organ is her conservator.

Amanda Bynes was first put under the conservatorship in 2013 after she allegedly set fire to the driveway and was subsequently put on an involuntary psychiatric hold. Her mother was granted full conservatorship the following year.

Her assets, however, are not a part of the conservatorship and have been overseen by her father.

According to a report by Variety, the hearing date about the future of her conservatorship is set on March 22. Bynes had filed the petition to end it on February 23 and she also filed a capacity declaration the day before. Since she is a resident of the state of California in the United States, she is legally bound to provide updated information on her mental health.

Now after nine years, Bynes’ decision to end her conservatorship has received support from her mother. Lynn Organ’s lawyer told Variety, “This conservatorship that Lynn brought has always been intended to be temporary, and Lynn is extremely happy and thrilled and proud of Amanda and ready to terminate this conservatorship based on the hard work Amanda has done.”

The petition filed in the court showcases reports from her psychiatrist and lawyer stating that her mental condition has improved and she no longer requires protection.

Amanda Bynes started her career as a child artist in the Nickelodeon series All That. She went on to have a successful film career as she starred in hits like She’s the Man and Hairspray. However, she has been out of the spotlight for more than a decade and her last billing was the 2010 comedy film Easy A.

Earlier last year, the actor had filed a status report on her health. It will be reviewed in January 2023 but her attorney said that it will have no bearing on the conservatorship and it does not mean that it will extend till 2023.

Actor Chetan Kumar Granted Bail Following Arrest for Tweet about Judge Hearing Hijab Case

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

Chetan Kumar, the Kannada actor who was earlier arrested for tweeting about one of the judges hearing the ongoing Hijab case in Karnataka, was granted bail on Friday by a magistrate court.

However, the actor will remain in judicial custody until at least Monday pending procedural work, his wife Megha S said on his Facebook page.

Chetan was arrested on Tuesday after the police had taken suo moto cognisance of his February 16 tweet, in which he had questioned whether Justice Krishna Dixit of the Karnataka High Court was the right person to be hearing the Hijab case.

Sharing one of his own tweets from two years ago, about Justice Dixit granting bail to a rape accused on the grounds that the victim had not behaved as an “Indian woman” who was “ravished” would, Chetan wrote, “This is a tweet I wrote nearly two years ago regarding a Karnataka High Court decision. Justice Krishna Dixit made such disturbing comments in a rape case. Now this same judge is determining whether hijabs are acceptable or not in government schools. Does he have the clarity required?”

For this tweet, the actor was booked under IPC sections 505 (2) (statement intended to incite a class or community to commit offence against another) and 504 (intentionally insulting, thereby giving provocation to any person to break public peace).

Soon after his arrest, Megha went live on his Facebook page from Sheshadripuram Police Station and alleged that Chetan was missing. “No one informed us, his phone is switched off, so is our gunman’s. He is a missing person right now. The police officials say that he is not in their custody at the moment but they have escorted him elsewhere for inquiry purposes,” she said.

The actor’s bail hearing took place on Friday and the magistrate court granted him bail subject to Chetan producing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of Rs 1 lakh each. According to The News Minute, the bail order read, “The accused shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused. He shall not make, publish, post, or circulate any derogatory/provocative statements in any manner so as to disturb communal harmony and public peace.” The order also directed Chetan to cooperate with the investigation and attend all hearings.

Megha confirmed the bail hearing on Chetan’s Facebook page. She also wrote that due to pending technical formalities and owing to court closure over the weekend, the actor would not be released until Monday.

Sean Penn Lands in Ukraine to Make a Documentary on Russian Invasion

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Sean Penn, the American actor who has won two Oscars for the films Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), has reached Ukraine to film a documentary on Russia’s invasion of the country.

The documentary is being produced by Vice Studios in association with Vice World News and Endeavor Content.

The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the actor-director’s arrival at the capital city, Kyiv, amidst the ongoing conflict, which escalated after Russia launched a three-pronged invasion on Ukraine on Thursday. Photos of Penn attending a press briefing by the Ukrainian government that same day are doing the rounds in the media.

In November 2021, the actor had visited the country to do some research for the film and at the time, he was documented being escorted around by the Ukrainian military.

Penn has now visited the President’s office and met Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, as well as local journalists and members of the Ukrainian military.

The Ukrainian government expressed its gratitude to the actor-philanthropist, and said in a statement, “The director (Penn) specially came to Kyiv to record all the events that are currently happening in Ukraine and to tell the world the truth about Russia’s invasion of our country. Sean Penn is among those who support Ukraine in Ukraine today. Our country is grateful to him for such a show of courage and honesty.”

“Sean Penn is demonstrating bravery that many others have been lacking, in particular some Western politicians. The more people like that – true friends of Ukraine, who support the fight for freedom – the quicker we can stop this heinous invasion by Russia,” the statement added.

This is not the first time that the 61-year-old actor has put himself in danger to document important humanitarian concerns. In 2020, Penn directed the Discovery Plus documentary Citizen Penn, which dealt with the establishment of his non-profit Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquakes.

In 2016, Penn published an exclusive interview with the Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in Rolling Stone. Penn visited the Sinaloa cartel leader in a remote jungle in secret. While the story was not authorised by either US or Mexican authorities, it helped the latter in nabbing Guzman.

Family from Oscar-Shortlisted Documentary ‘The Distant Barking of Dogs’ Evacuated from War-Torn Ukraine

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, Danish producer Monica Hellstrom and director Simon Lereng Wilmont made arrangements for the evacuation of the Ukrainian family that was the subject of their Oscar-shortlisted 2017 documentary, The Distant Barking of Dogs.

Hellstrom told Variety that she and Lereng Wilmont reached out to the assistant director and local production coordinator to help them evacuate Oleg Afanasyev and his grandmother Alexandra, from their village of Hnutove in Donetsk.

It is to be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an incursion of troops into the self-proclaimed independent territories of Donetsk and Luhansk on Monday, even before the launch of the large-scale invasion.

Oleg and Alexandra appeared in the documentary that follows the life of the then 10-year-old boy in the war-torn region of Donbas in Ukraine. It premiered at the 2017 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and won the IDFA Competition for First Appearance. It was also one of the 15 films shortlisted for the Oscars in the Documentary Feature category.

The subjects of the recent documentary, A House Made of Splinters, were also evacuated to a safer area following a bombing threat, the Variety report adds. Russia launched a three-pronged invasion of Ukraine from land, sea, and air, and bombed several cities, including the capital Kyiv.

A House Made of Splinters is also directed by Lereng Wilmont and produced by Hellstrom’s Final Cut for Real banner. “As the war in Eastern Ukraine takes a heavy toll on poor families living near the frontline, a small group of strong-willed social workers work tirelessly in a special kind of orphanage to create an almost magical safe space for kids to live in,” reads the film’s official synopsis.

It earned Lereng Wilmont the award for best direction in the World Cinema Documentary category at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

The director and producer have also joined forces to raise funds for children who have been evacuated from shelters in Eastern Ukraine, including those depicted in A House Made of Splinters, through the non-profit organisation Voices of Children. “We want to provide these children with food and clothing – everything they need,” said Hellstrom.

It is notable that Hellstrom’s Flee recently made history by becoming the first animated documentary to be nominated in the Best International Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature categories at the 94th edition of the Oscars.

Bombay HC Directs BMC to Decide on Amitabh Bachchan’s Representation Over Juhu Property, No Coercive Action Till Then

BY Namrata Ganguly On

The Bombay High Court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday not to take any coercive action against veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan in a case related to the acquisition of a part of their Juhu property for extending the road in the area.

Last year on May 22, the BMC had sent a letter to the Mumbai suburban district collector asking him to undertake “appropriate action on measurement and demarcation” of the Sant Dnyaneshwar Marg, on which the actors’ bungalow ‘Prateeksha’ is located.

“If this road is widened, it will help ease the traffic congestion there and provide relief to the people,” read the BMC letter.

During a previous hearing on February 17, the court had also asked the BMC to consider Bachchan’s additional representation in the court in the matter within six weeks from the day. It also said that personal hearings can be granted in case of requirement by the Commissioner or the parties to the case while it asked the civic body to not take any coercive action against the couple till three weeks following their representation is decided by the BMC.

While hearing the actor duo’s plea on Wednesday, the court was informed that the petition was seeking directions to hear them and decide their February 17 representation against the acquisition of a portion of their plot.

In the plea filed by the Bachchans, they also challenged the notices that the BMC had issued to them in April 2017 mentioning the civic body will take possession of parts of the plot along with wall and structures as it falls within the regular street line.

Amitabh Bachchan At The Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta Wedding
Amitabh Bachchan At The Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta Wedding

Further, the plea pointed that the representatives they had appointed initially to attend to the BMC office, told its officials that it would more be convenient and easier for the civic authority to widen the street on the opposite side of the plots in question.

With no action taken in the past four years, they assumed that the notices issued were dropped and hence they did not submit any further formal objection to the authority, they said.

It was only in the last month that the BMC officials orally informed the couple regarding their plan of implementing the notices issued earlier and taking possession of the parts of the plot for widening the road.

In the plea filed by the Bachchans, they sought to quash and set aside the notices issued to them. The plea mentioned that as per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, the building structures on the said plot cannot be demolished. It further stated that the notices issued are inconsistent with safeguards under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and it must be set aside.

Showing “disparity in action”, the plea also pointed that neither the notices were not issued to other holders of the plots on the same side of the road nor was any action taken for widening the road.

The plea further sought a perpetual injunction against the BMC while restraining it from enforcing the notices or taking any action. The court disposed of the plea stating that the Commissioner will consider the representations.

Jerry Lewis’ Co-Actors Accuse the Late American Comedian of Sexual Harassment

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Mutliple women, including yesteryear Hollywood actors Karen Sharpe and Hope Holiday, have accused Jerry Lewis, the late American comedian and actor who is renowned for films like The Nutty Professor, of sexual harassment, Vanity Fair has reported.

The revelations came after Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering brought their interviews of accusations against Lewis, to Vanity Fair in a bid to make the women’s stories heard.

Dick and Ziering recently directed the investigation documentary film Allen vs Farrow that revolves around the sexual abuse allegations against famed filmmaker Woody Allen.

The allegations against Lewis, however, come four years after his death, in 2017.

Sharpe, now 87, said that Lewis had asked her to try outfits and show them to him after she was cast for the 1965 film The Disorderly Orderly. “He grabbed me,” Sharpe recalled. “He began to fondle me. He unzipped his pants. Quite frankly, I was dumbstruck.” As Sharpe protested against his advances and returned to shoot a few days later, she said that Lewis had decreed that no one should speak to her. Even though she offered to quit, Lewis said that she could not, since she had already signed the contract.

Vanity Fair noted that Lewis was “untouchable” by this period, having secured a record-breaking deal with Paramount in 1959.

Holiday, who got her breakthrough in Billy Walder’s The Apartment, said that she knew Lewis from when she was 13 years old and considered him family.

In 1961, Lewis offered her a part in The Ladies Man. Holiday recalled that on the first day itself, Lewis had summoned her to his office and had locked the door.

“Then he starts to talk to me: ‘Y’know, you could be very attractive but you wear pants all the time. I have never seen you in a skirt. You have nice legs and you’ve got good boobs.’ Then he starts to talk to me about sex,” Holiday recalled.

Even though her friends suggested reporting Lewis to the Screen Actors Guild, Holiday said that she was scared. “He was very big at Paramount. I was under contract to him and to Paramount, and I didn’t want to shake the boat. Y’know, I figured I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”

The Vanity Fair report also threw light on the rampant trend of casting couch in the film industry.

Actor and Oscar-winning writer Renee Taylor, who was referred to Paramount by Lewis after they met on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar, shared that the studio company had asked her if she was “one of Jerry’s girls.”

The experiences of sexual harassment varied in terms of the star power of female actors as well. For instance, Tony-winning actor Anna Maria Alberghetti said that was able to reject Lewis’ advances because she was an established star herself.

“If this had been my first break in the business, I probably wouldn’t have had a choice,” she added.

Complaints of sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry only found a foothold after the ‘Me Too’ movement picked up in the last few years. Perpetrators like Harvey Weinstein, and Kevin Spacey have had to come face to face with either an everlasting prison term, or banishment from work.

However, cases like the recent overturning of the conviction of Bill Cosby also exist.

Priyanka Chopra Responds to Comedian Rosie O’Donnell’s Apology: “Google My Name… Don’t Refer to Me As ‘Someone’ Or ‘Wife'”

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Priyanka Chopra took to her Instagram stories on Thursday to speak about how to properly apologise to someone, seemingly responding to comedian Rosie O’Donnel’s apology from earlier this week where she addressed the former as ‘Nick Jonas’ wife’.

A couple of days back, O’Donnel took to her Instagram to post a few videos describing her encounter with Chopra. In the first video, the comedian said that she and her son and his girlfriend spotted Jonas and Chopra out on a date. “Seated next to us were Nick Jonas and his wife ‘someone’ Chopra, which I always assumed was Deepak Chopra’s daughter,” she said in the video. When she addressed Priyanka Chopra as Deepak Chopra’s daughter, PC said ‘no’ and added that Chopra was a common surname.

“To Nick Jonas, I apologize and to the Chopra wife I apologize too,” said O’Donnell in the video.

In today’s story, PC spoke about the apology and wrote, “I have never taken myself so seriously to think everyone would know who I am or my work for that matter. But if you wanted to make a public apology for a very awkward private encounter, I think probably best to take the time to google my name before doing it or even try to reach out directly. We all deserve to be respected for our unique individuality and not be referred to as ‘someone’ or ‘wife’, especially in a sincere apology. If we can learn to respect our differences in an authentic way, the world we raise our children in will be amazing. Also PS – As I’ve said before, not all Chopras are related to the great Deepak, just as not all Smith’s are related to the legendary Will Smith.”

In her second video, O’Donnel had said, “So I’m reading the comments, and people thought she was rude, she wasn’t rude, it was just awkward. I’m sure she gets sick of that. Priyanka is her name. She’s apparently a very well-known actress and more famous than him (Jonas). So I’m sure it felt weird to her, to begin with. Anyway, Priyanka is her name. And I just want to apologise to her and to everyone who thought it was inappropriate of me.”

O’Donnel is yet to respond to PC’s story.

“KPAC Lalitha was the Best Narrator in Malayalam Cinema,” Filmmakers Anoop Sathyan & Rojin Thomas Share Memories of the Late Actor

BY Chandhini R On

The funeral of veteran actor KPAC Lalitha, who died on Tuesday, will be held at her residence in Thrissur on Wednesday at 5 pm with state honours. As several fans and celebrities pay their tributes to the actor, speaking to Silverscreen India, filmmakers Anoop Sathyan and Rojin Thomas share their memories working with her in the recent past. 

Anoop directed the 2020 Malayalam film Varane Avashyamund starring Dulquer Salmaan, Suresh Gopi, Shobana and Kalyani Priyadarshan. In the film, Lalitha played the pivotal role of Akashavani, a serial actor and former radio jockey. Akashavani was the caretaker of Bibish (Dulquer) and his younger brother. 

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Anoop recalls, “For Varane Avashyamund, I thought Lalitha aunty would be a great fit for two roles and I wanted her to play any one of them. At the time, she was busy but somehow she managed to take out some time to work in my film. She had been a permanent cast member in my father’s (Sathyan Anthikad) films for over three decades. So, she is more like family to me.”

Anoop also tells us that Lalitha’s talent for narration is unique and very believable. “If she is in a film, she can narrate a backstory so convincingly that we don’t even have to shoot a flashback sequence. The best example is her narration of Nagavalli’s backstory in the cult film Manichitrathazhu (1993).” 

He further recalls that on the sets, he did not have to give many cues to Lalitha about the character Lalitha, only giving certain references like his father would do in the films they had collaborated on.

“She was a star who felt like family. During my childhood, I did not spend time on my father’s sets. But she used to come home and visit my family. One memory of her that I’d cherish forever is after completing the shoot for Varane Avashyamund, Lalitha aunty attended an event in Kerala, with my father. Speaking about her experience working in the film, she revealed the title for the first time. She also mentioned that working with me was similar to working with my father. So, that was a huge compliment.” 

Lalitha was last seen in the critically-acclaimed Malayalam comedy-drama #Home (2021). Filmmaker Rojin Thomas says that it was a blessing to have worked with the late actor. 

“I had a great experience collaborating with her for #Home. I think exactly one year ago, I was shooting with her. During that time, she was unwell and there were Covid-19 restrictions. When we approached her, we were not sure if she would be willing to work in such a situation. But, she was very happy to listen to the story and was excited to be a part of the film,” adds Rojin. 

Rojin notes that Lalitha is a ‘born actor.’ He says, “For instance, we would have given only a two-minute briefing for a scene or a character. But her acting, would make us feel like she had comprehended the situation or character, for over two months.”

The filmmaker also says that for Malayalees, when it came to narration or any scene with immersive storytelling, Lalitha was the only actor who would cross their minds. He adds that for #Home, he had wanted to cast Lalitha, right during the process of writing. 

“The climax demanded the narration of a backstory and I am glad that Lalitha amma was able to do it. As she was physically unwell at that time, she found great joy to be on the sets. Especially, she loved the make-up for the Annamma character essayed by her. It motivated her when she looked elegant. She appreciated the make-up artist for that,” he says, adding that he was unsure if she had a chance to watch the film, as her health deteriorated in the following months. 

Nadigar Sangam Polls in 2019 Valid, Says Madras HC; Orders Vote Counting

BY Anusha Sundar On

On Wednesday, a division bench of the Madras High Court ruled that the elections for The South Indian Artistes’ Association (SIAA) or Nadigar Sangam held in June 2019, is valid and declared the opening of sealed ballot boxes. The order further restrained the announcement of results for three weeks.

The case was heard by Justices Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Mohammed Shaffiq. The bench passed the order, setting aside the single judge order issued in January 2020, which aimed to quash the 2019 election. Further, it ordered a retired judge as the election officer to preside over the new elections within three months. The 2020 order was passed based on the plea initiated by actors Ezhumalai and Benjamin.

However, actors Vishal, Karthi and Nasser, who also serve as SIAA office bearers, challenged the single judge order before the division bench, which heard the case on Wednesday. The bench observed,”The elections held on July 23, 2019, is valid. The sealed ballot boxes which are kept in the bank locker can be opened under the supervision of the election officer and the votes could be counted within four weeks.”

It is to be noted that after Ezhumalai and Benjamin said that they will appeal against the division bench’s order before the Supreme Court, citing that their right to vote was denied in 2019, the court enforced an interim stay to the election officer from announcing the results for three weeks. Silverscreen India had earlier reported that a letter signed by the District Registrar in June 2019, mentioned that the Sangam has violated rules by taking disciplinary action against some of its members. This made them ineligible to vote, following which Ezhumalai and Benjamin appealed before the court.

Further, on October 26, 2021, the division bench had appointed an officer from the state government to be in charge of the day-to day activities of the Nadigar Sangam.

Kannada Actor Chetan Kumar Arrested for Tweet Against Judge Hearing Hijab Case

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Chetan Kumar, the Kannada actor, has been arrested by the Bengaluru Police on Tuesday owing to his recent tweet on the ongoing Hijab case in the state, his wife Megha alleged in a social media post.

Megha went live from the actor’s Facebook page on Tuesday evening from Sheshadripuram Police Station and said that Chetan is reportedly missing. “No one informed us, his phone is switched off, so is our gunman’s. He is a missing person right now. The police officials said that he (Chetan) is not in their custody at the moment but they have escorted him elsewhere for inquiry purposes.”

She further said that the police has neither given her any notice about the actor’s detention nor have they provided any information on his whereabouts. Megha has reportedly filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner’s office seeking information on his whereabouts.

The actor has been booked under Section 505 (2) (intent to incite a class or community to commit offence against another class or community) and Section 504 (intentionally insulting, thereby giving provocation to any person to break public peace) of the Indian Penal Code.

Further, DCP Central also stated that Chetan will be produced before the jurisdictional Magistrate soon.

The police have taken suo motu cognisance of the actor’s tweet dated February 16 where he questioned Justice Krishna Dixit of the Karnataka High Court.

On February 16, Chetan shared one of his tweets from two years ago, regarding the same judge and wrote, “This is a tweet I wrote nearly two years ago regarding a Karnataka High Court decision Justice Krishna Dixit made such disturbing comments in a rape case Now this same judge is determining whether #hijabs are acceptable or not in govt schools Does he have the clarity required?”

Previously, in 2021, there have been multiple complaints filed against the actor over his social media posts on casteism and Brahminism. When Silverscreen India had spoken to him regarding the complaints, Chetan had said that he was pleased that these issues are garnering attention through these controversies.

“I’m glad that these issues of caste and social inequalities are actually coming into the mainstream, which has been my intention all along. And, of course, if you bring these kinds of issues to the mainstream, there is a certain amount of denial and lack of acceptance,” he said.

KPAC Lalitha Was Fondly Called ‘Achamma’ on ‘Kaatru Veliyidai’ Set: Filmmaker Kiran Recalls Working With the Late Actor

BY Anusha Sundar On

While KPAC Lalitha, the veteran Malayalam actor, who died in Kochi on Tuesday night, left a lasting impression in Malayalam cinema, she was also a familiar face for Tamil moviegoers. Through Tamil films such as Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), Alaipayuthey (2000) and Kadhalukku Mariyadhai (1997), the late actor carved a niche for herself in the industry.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, filmmaker Kiran, who assisted filmmaker Mani Ratnam, in Kaatru Veliyidai (starring Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari), reminisced about working with Lalitha. “I used to hold her and help her walk from her room to the shooting spot on set, since she needed some support to walk. We used to call her achamma and hardly referred to her by her name. Even Mani sir used to address her the same way,” said Kiran. In the film, Lalitha played the role of Achamma, who travels along with Rao’s character, a doctor.

Adding that Lalitha came across as a person who looked ‘older than her she was’, Kiran said “I think she was 68 in 2016 when we shot the film if I am not wrong. But she appeared older than she was.”

Kiran’s Instagram story paying tribute to KPAC Lalitha

Kiran added that on set, Lalitha mostly spoke in Malayalam and found it difficult to communicate in Tamil. “We used to figure out what she was saying in Malayalam. In fact, all of her scenes were shot in Malayalam. Her scenes were light-hearted ones and she really owned her character. We had shot a lot of scenes of her with Aditi and Delhi Ganesh sir, but some of them had to be trimmed in the film. They brought a lot of warmth and organic humour to their characters,” he said.

Kiran also lauded how Lalitha along with Delhi Ganesh improvised some of the scenes, on the spot, which brought a touch of ‘naturality’ to the characters both of them played.

“Alaipayuthey happens to be that one film with which I clearly associate her with Tamil films as well. Somewhere, somehow, while working together, she made some sort of impression on me, and that’s what matters to someone like me who was just starting out in the industry,” he said.

Lalitha was 74 and is survived by her son Sidharth and daughter Sreekutty.