Filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan will be the next chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy while singer MG Sreekumar will take on the role at the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, according to an Onmanorama report.
Ranjith replaces National Award-winning filmmaker Kamal and Sreekumar will take up the mantle from veteran actor KPAC Lalitha.
A source told the publication that the decision to appoint the veteran artists to the top positions was approved by the state cabinet in its last meeting and their appointment orders are expected to be issued shortly. According to the report, the cabinet sanctioned the selections after the CPM, the major ruling party in the state, approved of the appointees.
Ranjith, who entered the film industry as a writer, made his directorial debut in 2001 with Ravanaprabhu. In a career spanning over three decades, he has established himself as a writer, actor, director and producer. Some of the popular films he has written include Devasuram, Aaraam Thampuran and Narasimham. Ranjith is known for directing critically-acclaimed films like Pranchiyettan and the Saint and Kaiyoppu. He won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam for his films Indian Rupee (2011) and Thirakatha (2008). He has also won five Kerala State Awards in various categories.
The Onmanorama report mentions that the filmmaker is a supporter of the CPM and had campaigned actively for the party in the assembly elections early this year.
MG Sreekumar is a playback singer, music composer, and reality show judge. He has sung more than 35,000 songs in more than 15 Indian languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Sanskrit. He is a recipient of two National Film Awards, three Kerala State Film Awards, and was also honoured with the Harivarasanam Award by the government of Kerala in 2016.
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Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is an autonomous non-profit institution functioning under the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. It was instituted in August 1998 for the promotion of cinema in Kerala.
Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi was founded in April 1958, also under the Department of Culture. The organisation aims to nourish and encourage various forms of dance, music, drama and folk arts of Kerala. The Akademi also undertakes the documentation and preservation of art forms that are rare, historically important, and under the threat of extinction.