Thiruvananthapuram: Actor Alencier Ley Lopez, who received the Special Jury Award at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony, has invited controversy for his misogynistic remarks. He was presented the award by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday. 

Receiving the award, Alencier said, “Special Jury Award winners should be presented with a gold-plated statuette. Do not tempt us with this female sculpture. In a state with a manly chief minister, give us a sculpture with masculine strength.” 

He further added that the award money was insufficient and addressing the award jury chairman Goutam Ghose, he said: “Don’t insult me and Kunchacko Boban by giving a mere Rs 25,000. Please increase the (award) amount.” 

The actor’s remarks soon drew flak from in and outside the film industry with many demanding withdrawal of the award, notwithstanding the quality of his performance. 

Dubbing artist and actor Bhagyalakshmi opined that there was nothing surprising about Alencier’s remarks as he has always been a person who makes open misogynistic remarks. 

“How anti-feminist he (Alencier) must be to make such a remark at a government event. If he was not interested in an award in the shape of a female statuette, then he should not have accepted it,” Bhagyalakshmi said. 

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing controversy, Alencier justified his remarks and stated that he was not ready to apologise. “It is the women who consider men as (sexual) objects. I said that I wanted a masculine sculpture. What’s wrong with that? I have not done anything wrong,” he told a media channel.