Film Awards row: Ranjith, Chalachitra Academy file caveat in Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and its chairman Ranjith moved the Supreme Court and filed a caveat against the petition seeking to set aside the declaration of Kerala State Film Awards 2022. The caveat sought the apex court not to pass an interim order without hearing their side of arguments. 

The initial petition was filed in the apex court by Lijeesh Mullezhath, director of ‘Aakaashathinu Thazhe’, after the Kerala High Court dismissed his plea stating the pleadings were insufficient and lacked evidence to prove the allegations of nepotism and bias by the film director. 

The current move comes ahead of the top court’s scheduled hearing of Lijeesh’s petition on Monday. It will be heard by a bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and JB Pardiwala. The caveat was filed by advocate MK Aswathi. 

According to the petitioner, Ranjith illegally intervened in the decision of the film award jury and misused his authority to influence the jury members. He claimed that he did not win any award for the film due to nepotism and bias on the part of the jury.

Lijeesh had moved the court after allegations began to crop up against Ranjith over pressurising the jury against considering Vinayan’s film ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ for the awards.