Director Aashiq Abu resigns from FEFKA over Hema Committee report row

Malayalam film director Aashiq Abu has resigned from Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) alleging that the organisation's stance on the Hema Committee Report was insincere and hypocritical. He criticised FEFKA’s response to the Hema Committee Report as being gravely silent.

The resignation comes a day after the filmmaker criticised FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan for what he perceives as a "hypocritical" stance on the Hema Commission report. 

Aashiq accused Unnikrishnan of wielding a feudal-like control over the association and pointed out the inconsistency between Unnikrishnan's past support for banning cine artists and his current position on the report. Aashiq also alleged that the recent FEFKA statement was issued without consulting other members of the organisation.

"I have no issues with FEFKA itself, but I strongly disagree with how the association is being run under B Unnikrishnan’s leadership. The government should recognize his hypocritical stance and remove him from the film policy panel," Abu said.

FEFKA has called for the release of the names of those involved in sexual abuse in the Malayalam cinema industry, as highlighted in the Hema Commission report. In a detailed statement released on Wednesday, FEFKA praised the Hema Commission report as a crucial framework for the Malayalam film industry. The association acknowledged the seriousness of the incidents reported and expressed a commitment to advocate for substantial actions and policies to drive meaningful change within the industry.

"We understand the criticism regarding our previous silence on this matter. We aim to move beyond mere statements and push for significant reforms that will bring about real change," the statement said.