Malayalam film director Aashiq Abu has lashed out against the right wing forces who labeled director Kamal as a Muslim anti-national.
The director has quoted an article, which questioned the Sangh Parivar narrative of converting Kamal to Kamaluddin, a Muslim anti-national.
Kamal is the chairman of Kerala State Film Academy, a key organiser of the ongoing International Film Festival of Kerala.
11 persons, including two women, were arrested from the festival venue for not standing for the national anthem.
On Wednesday, BJP workers staged a protest march to Kamal’s residence and sang the national anthem before dispersing. In another protest, BJP burned Kamal’s effigy outside Kalabhavan theatre in Thiruvananthapuram, a venue for IFFK.
BJP alleged that Kamal was the patron of the Kodungallur film society which had filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the national anthem in theatre.
BJP activists demanded that Kamal should apologize for his statement supporting those who refused to stand up for the national anthem.
Meanwhile, Kamal responded that those who reduced national anthem to a slogan should examine who is actually respecting the national anthem.
IFFK also witnessed an interesting incident regarding the national anthem. ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram’, featured in the category of Malayalam today, contains a humorous scene involving the national anthem. Majority of the delegates stood at attention at the time of the scene.
