Thiruvananthapuram: Actor Prem Kumar has been appointed as the temporary chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy following the resignation of director Ranjith. 

Prem Kumar, who currently serves as the academy's vice chairman, has stepped into the role temporarily after Ranjith resigned in the wake of a sexual harassment complaint filed by a Bengali actress.

Initially, the academy had considered veteran director Shaji N Karun to fill the vacancy. However, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) demanded that Beena Paul be appointed as the chairperson. To address the differing views, the government resolved the matter by assigning Prem Kumar the temporary charge.

This marks the first time a non-director has assumed the chairmanship of the film academy. Prem Kumar now faces key responsibilities, including overseeing the state film awards distribution, the cinema conclave, and the Kerala International Film Festival.

Prem Kumar joined the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy as vice chairman in 2022. With a career spanning over 100 films and lead roles in 18 movies, his most recent appearance was in the film ‘CID Ramachandran Retd. SI,’ released earlier this year.