Salim Kumar moves HC to direct Academy to screen his documentary

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Salim Kumar, national and state award winner for best acting in 2010, has moved the High Court on Monday, seeking a direction to the Kerala Chalachitra Academy to have his documentary screened and suspend the state awards till then.

The actor, who had produced Pokkali and put it up in the competition section, had found to his dismay that the film was not even screened before the award jury.

The court ordered a notice to the state government. Salim Kumar, however, did not stop with this. He flayed the academy for a string of omissions and commissions.

He said the award given to Blessy could not be justified in any way as Pranayam was a near lift from Australian director Paul Cox’s 2000 movie Innocence.

“I want you (the media) to expose it. Or perhaps the youngsters of Kerala can do it as I don’t want the credit for it. But the offer is only for two days and after that you should not blame me (for exposing Blessy and the award jury)”, the actor said.

He said the awards guidelines had stipulated that no film which was a copy of another should be entered in the competition section. “From now on, the jury should be selected after an interview during which their knowledge of guidelines need be tested”, he said.

Referring to Pokkali, he said: “I am not crazy about awards and I respect the jury’s verdict. But it was a shock to know that it was not screened. If this is the fate of a national award winner, you can imagine how others can be treated”, said Salim Kumar.

Salim Kumar, who cultivates pokkali (a type of rice) in about 12 acres, said he had spent about eight years to make the film.