The production of at least seven Malayalam movies, including the much-awaited Mohanal-starrer Bro Daddy, directed by Prithviraj have been moved to Telangana and Tamil Nadu as the Kerala government has denied permission to shoot. The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) said this in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, requesting permission to resume filming and other production works to help revive the industry in the state. The FEFKA letter claims that it is “trying to come up with projects aimed at providing aid for our members during the Onam season.” It has mentioned that the cinema industry has become active in the neighbouring states. The association with filmmaker B. Unnikrishnan, as its general secretary, has said the Malayalam film industry that provides employment to several people has been severely hit by COVID-19.
The FEFKA’s letter claims that its members have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. “The producers association has also requested permission to begin filming after conducting RT-PCR tests for the crew, creating bio-bubbles and by strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols,” FEFKA has said in the letter.The association has, however, questioned the logic behind the nod given to shooting for television serials in the state while films have been denied permission. The letter further states that daily-wage labourers who were dependent on the industry have lost their livelihood.
The association noted that the state government had provided a grant of Rs 2,000 per head during the first lockdown. It added that a substantial sum was raised with the help of its members, besides donations from benevolent patrons and through the CSR funds of major business groups. As per the letter, the FEFKA had spent about Rs 2,25,00,000 during the first lockdown alone for helping the needy. The association claimed that it had also distributed life-saving drugs, and food kits, and provided monetary assistance for the treatment of the kin of deceased members. Adding that the denial of permission to shoot does not concur with the government’s policies that have always been kind to the film industry and artists, FEFKA wrote: “So, we request the honourable chief minister to look into this matter and grant permission to resume filming with immediate effect.”
