Film fraternity vows to protect artists’ freedom

Kochi: The Malayalam

film fraternity

came together here on Thursday, expressing solidarity to moviemaker Kamal and writer M T Vasudevan Nair, who have been targeted by the BJP for their stand on the national anthem row and demonetisation issue, respectively.

Movie personalities, who came together under the auspices of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (

Fefka

), asserted that the

freedom

of expression is a fundamental right of a citizen.

Actor Mohanlal, who was trolled for his blog on demonetisation, also found support in the meet.

Addressing the gathering, Federation general secretary and filmmaker B Unnikrishnan demanded that those associated with cinema be allowed to function independently.

“Those in the film industry function are above political and religious considerations. They work with a secular perspective. It is undemocratic to hound them over their opinions,” he said.

Director Siddique opined that

artists

should not be used as a tool to enforce the political interests of some people.

Fefka directors’ union president Renji Panicker said the county’s culture accepted different ideologies with open arms. The recent developments, he said, reminded him of the internal Emergency clamped on the country for 21 months in 1975.

“Artists should have an independent platform,” he said.

Kerala State Film Development Corporation chairman Lenin Rajendran said some people were believing they could continue using the language of German dictator Adolf Hitler.

The meet pledged to safeguard the freedom of artists. Actor Manju Warrier administered the oath to the participants.

Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi chairperson KPAC Lalitha, poet-actor Balachandran Chullikkad, actor Anoop Menon, directors Siby Malayil, Joshiy, Amal Neerad, and Blessy were among those attended the solidarity meet.