After 100 people, including people from the film industry, wrote to the Kerala government that Mohanlal should not be invited as the Chief Guest to the annual state film awards to be held in August, support pour in for the Malayalam superstar.
Award-winning actor Prakash Raj, who was alleged to be among the 100 signatories, on Tuesday denied that he was among them. "I wish to say that I have not signed any such thing that Mohanlal ji, should not be invited," he said.
State Culture Minister A.K. Balan told the media that no decision was taken that Mohanlal will be the chief guest. After this, Edavela Babu, General Secretary of actors body AMMA, said that there seemed to be some conspiracy that was being whipped up against Mohanlal.
"When the state government itself has now said that Mohanlal was never invited, then how come there is a demand that he should not be invited. There is something happening against the actor," he said.
Film bodies like FEFKA, and Film Chamber, as well as distributors and exhibitors, have also come out in support of the superstar.
Mohanlal, who last month took over as President of AMMA, first came under fire from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) for revoking the suspension of accused actor Dileep's membership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). Dileep is an accused in the 2017 kidnapping of an actress.