Zakariya and Muhsin Parari, the director and screenwriter respectively of Malayalam film Sudani From Nigeria, will boycott the national film award ceremony which will be held in Delhi on December 23. Sudani From Nigeria won the award for the best Malayalam film at the national film awards. Their decision is in protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Zakariya announced this decision on Facebook on Sunday. Samir Thahir and Shyju Khalid, the producers of the film, will also boycott the award function.
Read: Sudani From Nigeria Review: A Gorgeous Film Rooted In Old-Fashioned Goodness
Sudani From Nigeria which released in theatres in March 2018, is centred on a Nigerian young man, a victim of sectarian violence in the country, who comes to Kerala as a footballer. The film stars Soubin Shahir and Samuel Robinson in the lead roles.
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Citizenship (Amendment) Act which was signed by the President of India on December 10 2019, guarantees Indian citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who have faced persecution. However, this Act excludes Muslims. Massive protests have erupted across the country, especially in the north east states of Assam and Tripura, against the problematic Act.
On December 11, the crew of Unda, directed by Khalid Rahman and starring Mammootty, had protested against the Act at International Film Festival Of Kerala where the film was screened in Malayalam Today category. Actors such as Sunny Wayne and Parvathy Thiruvothu had also marked their dissent against the Act on social media.