In a swift action, FEFKA suspended young directors Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza after they were caught with hybrid cannabis in the wee hours of Sunday. Following the incident, FEFKA’s leadership directed the Directors’ Union to take further action against the directors. FEFKA general secretary B Unnikrishnan had earlier made it clear that strict measures would be taken against those caught with drugs on film sets.

The two directors, along with a third person, were arrested by the Excise Department at around 2 am on Sunday, with 1.6 grams of hybrid cannabis found in their possession. After their arrest, they were granted station bail. Besides Khalid Rahman and Ashraf Hamza, Shalif Mohammed, a friend of theirs, was also arrested. Shalif is believed to have bought the hybrid cannabis from an intermediary.

The investigation is ongoing into who supplied the cannabis to the directors. Authorities are focusing on the statements given by the three arrested individuals, and there are indications that a young man was involved in supplying the cannabis. The Excise Department’s raid was based on confidential information, and the directors were reportedly preparing to use the cannabis when the raid took place.

Khalid Rahman, who was arrested, is the director of Alappuzha Gymkhana, a film that received a positive response from audiences after its Vishu release. His earlier works, including Thallumaala, Love and Anuraga Karikkin Vellam, had also garnered praise. Love was particularly discussed among Malayali audiences, beyond its box office success. Ashraf Hamza’s Thamaasha also enjoyed box office success.