Fishermen against golden jubilee celebrations of Malayalam film Chemmeen

ALAPPUZHA: The fishermen community led by the Akhila Kerala Dheevara Sabha has come against the state government’s move to celebrate the 50th anniversary of famous Malayalam film Chemmeen based on the novel of the same name by legendary writer and Jnapith laureate Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. The government on Thursday set up an organizing committee for the golden jubilee celebrations of Chemmeen at the behest of chief minister Pinarayi Viayan.
Speaking to TOI, Dheevara Sabha general secretary and ex-MLA V Dinakaran has said the characters in Chemmeen was named humiliating all the fishermen community. The novel Chemmeen was written by Thakazhi humiliating all the coastal people.
``When it was made film, it totally affected the life of the coastal people and the film badly depicted the fishermen community in front of the people. In the film, the man and woman in our community were called `arayan and arayathi’. CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan called my brother ex MLA A V Thamarakshan as Chembenkunju. The students of our community still are unable to go to schools following other children teasing them in the name of Chemmeen characters. JSS leader K R Gowri Amma also humiliated me saying the names of characters in the film Chemmen in assembly. It is a matter of our prestige. So we will prevent the celebrations of Chemmeen at any cost. Even chief minister directly demanded us to go back from our move, we will not obey it,’’ he said.
Chemmeen is 1965 Malayalam film directed by Ramu Kariat and produced by Babu Ismail Sait. S L Puram Sadanandan penned the screenplay. It was the first South Indian film bagged the Indian President’s Gold Medal for the Best Film. Actress Sheela and Madhu were the protagonist in the film as Karuthamma and Pareekutty.
Sheela told TOI `I was unaware about the decision of the state government to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Chemmeen till Friday. The controversy gave a good publicity for the golden jubilee celebrations of the film and Cheemmeen is an identity of Malayalam cinema in front of world cinema. So nobody should prevent it,’’ she said.
``I am so thankful to the government for this decision. But I don’t understand why Dheevara Sabha has come against it. I feel the film depicted the real and earlier life of Kerala. I think the film only added the beauty of our coastal life and I am ready to discuss with the Dheevara Sabha people to clear their doubts. I think they are conducting a publicity stunt. But I will come and attend the function if I am invited,’’ said Sheela.
It was on Thursday, the cultural department in association with Kerala Chalachitra Academy has set up an organizing committee for conducting the celebrations. The meeting decided to conduct the golden jubilee celebrations on April 8 in Alappuzha and it will be inaugurated by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Chief minister, cultural minister A K Balan, PWD minister G Sudhakaran, finance minister T M Thomas Isaac, food and civil supplies minister P Thilothaman and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala are the chief patrons of the committee. The celebrations will be held at Purackadu and Neerkunnam, these places were the main locations in Thakazhi ‘s novel.