Amid a row among various sections of people, including from the film industry, writing to the Kerala government that Mohanlal should not be invited as the Chief Guest to the annual state film awards an invite was extended to him Wednesday. The actor has reportedly accepted it.

According to reports, the State Culture and Cinemas Minister A.K. Balan, on behalf of the Kerala government, officially extended the invite and that was accepted by the superstar, said a source.

The awards will be given away on August 8 at a function held in Thiruvananthapuram.

Balan and the state government got into high gear after half a dozen film-centric organisations that matter in the Malayalam film industry expressed their opinion that the superstar is being drawn into a needless controversy.

Mohanlal, who last month took over as President of film body Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), first came under fire from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) for revoking the suspension of accused actor Dileep's membership of the grouping. Dileep is an accused in the 2017 kidnapping of an actress.